Like most kids, I loved to color in coloring books. And before I knew what racism was, when it came to the point of coloring in people's skin -- without thinking about the social-political-emotional impact of it -- I opted for the Crayon marked "Flesh."
It wasn't until I got older that it dawned on me that Crayola's color of "Flesh" didn't match my skin tone, which depending on the season, ranged from unmistakably brown to dark brown. Even the shades of brown provided in the Crayola box didn't quite match my own skin color.
That's when I unconsciously began foregoing coloring books with people. Animals and landscapes, dragons and monsters were less troublesome. By the time I was 10, "Flesh" was the least used Crayon in my Crayola box.
But by then, it was too late. Subconsciously, I already had it imprinted in my brain that my skin color wasn't worth a Crayola. In the world of coloring books, people with my Filipino, melotonin-filled, sun-blessed skin tone didn't exist.
That was just one of the million little factors that kids of color face everyday. It may not be that big a deal and might seem harmless at first, but ultimately, these little "micro-agressions" help form what adults call self-worth.
Thank goodness, kids of color these days won't have that dilemma.
Crayola, the brand almost synonymous with coloring, has finally seen the light (or dark, and all the shades in between). The company has had a change of heart and now believes every child should be able to creatively and accurately color themselves into the world they see around them.
Thursday (May 21), on UN World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, Crayola launched Colors of the World crayons – 24 new specially formulated crayons – designed to mirror and represent over 40 global skin tones across the world. With the Colors of the World crayons, Crayola hopes to cultivate a more inclusive world for children of all ages, races, cultures and ethnicities.
"With the world growing more diverse than ever before, Crayola hopes our new Colors of the World crayons will increase representation and foster a greater sense of belonging and acceptance," says Crayola CEO Rich Wuerthele. "We want the new Colors of the World crayons to advance inclusion within creativity and impact how kids express themselves."
To ensure the new Colors of the World crayons were developed to reflect an accurate and inclusive skin tone palette, Crayola not only conducted rigorous consumer testing, but also partnered with Victor Casale. Casale, formerly Chief Chemist and Managing Director, R&D of MAC cosmetics and Cofounder and Chief Innovation Officer of Cover FX and currently CEO of MOB Beauty, possesses over 30 years of experience in creating foundation colors for global skin tones.
For more than eight months, Crayola's Research & Development and Marketing Teams collaborated with Casale to bring the Colors of the World crayons to life, modeling his scientific process for developing inclusive foundation shades. Together, Casale and Crayola systematically created crayon colors that step down from light to deep shades across rose, almond and golden undertones, resulting in a 24 global shade palette that authentically reflects the full spectrum of human complexions.
"I have spent my life trying to create truly global shade palettes because I know what it's like to be with a person who has finally found their exact match. They feel included and recognized, and I am hoping every child who uses these crayons and finds their shade will have that feeling," says Casale.
"Growing up, I remember mixing the pink and dark brown crayons to try and make my shade, so I was thrilled when Crayola asked for my help to create the Colors of the World crayons."
"Crayola first launched its multicultural product platform in 1992, so we are thrilled about the new Colors of World innovation and the unique partnership with Victor," says Mimi Dixon, Manager Brand Equity and Activation at Crayola.
"What intrigued Crayola about Victor was not only his extensive experience in creating shades that capture the natural beauty of every skin tone, but his abiding passion and commitment nurturing inclusion and representation. His expertise, candor and guidance throughout the development process was invaluable and brings an enhanced level of credibility and authenticity to the Colors of the World product."
The crayon packs feature side panels that serve as color references and each crayon is wrapped in a gradient skin tone label with the color name in English, Spanish and French, and purposefully has a realistic color name – such as Light Golden, Deep Almond and Medium Deep Rose – all to help kids easily find the shade they identify as their own.
Crayola Colors of the World crayons come in a 24 and 32-count pack and will begin to hit shelves in July, just in time for the back to school season.
During this coronavirus-affected world, with plenty of time on my hand, I might even turn to coloring books now. My choice of crayon would be "deep golden."
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