Matthew Garcia,
Salinas, CA.

I’m African-American, my mother would have my stay at my baby sitters house after school while she was working. One day my mom picked me up from my baby sitters house but before we left my mom and the babysitter were having conversation. I was playing in the living room when i noticed how different my mom (Black) and baby sitter (White) were in terms of color. I the didn’t understand why our color was different and I guess it never mattered to me anyways but anyways I started to scratch myself and rub myself harshly. My mom and baby sitter noticed and mom asked “Son what are you doing?” I replied, “Im cleaning myself to look like her.” *points at baby sitter.* Both laugh, it was my first experience and conscious thought on how different we seemed to be in color.