Parents who differ in hue from their children rarely discuss moments like these publicly, leaving gaping holes in the understanding of family lineage, cultural history and development of self-esteem.
This mother is learning to love her skin color and help her 4 year old daughter recognize the beauty and humanity in brownness. I think it’s a beautiful piece:
Her light-brown eyes locked in on me as she brushed her honey-colored locks aside with her hand. In a casual on-the-edge-of-sleep voice she cooed, “Your skin is dark. I don’t want you to touch me.” My brown Indigenous Latina body stiffened; I labored to breathe, outraged and confused. She rendered me speechless.