Perfect; the way you are

You are so much more than the colour of your skin

Pause. Look at your arms or down at your legs. Is there a mirror close by you can peek into? What does the colour of your skin remind you of: of biscuits, or clay, or peaches? Let’s talk about the skin we’re in. Have you noticed that, while we may be of the same race, or from the same place, we can look different from each other in so many ways? One is in the colour of our skin. Noticing these differences is a part of how we see the world around us.

However, sometimes people may compare others by the colour of their skin. They might say that a lighter skin is more beautiful or better than a darker skin. This is what we call “colourism”. Colourism has a long history of prejudice and discrimination — where people are treated differently based on their skin’s shade. It happens a lot in India, where light skin has been the standard of beauty and success.

While we, of course, notice what we look like, can we see beyond that? No matter what your skin’s colour, can you see yourself growing up to do whatever you dream of doing? Maybe you’d like to be an artist, or a doctor or an environmentalist. Maybe what you dream of doing hasn’t even been invented yet! The most important thing is: you are not defined or limited by the colour of your skin. Your skin is perfect just the way it is. And you are so much more than the colour of your skin.

For many of us, the first time we learn about different colours of our skin is at home or at school. We are often a different shade from our parents, our caregivers, our siblings and our friends. Let’s celebrate all the different colours of our skin and imagine what they remind us of. Honey or sand or almonds…the shades are endless. Let’s dream out loud together and think about all the things we can do and want to be.

Now here’s a secret: I bet you’re one of the people who is going to change the way we see skin shades as “better” or “worse”. You could say proudly that you love the skin you’re in. You could notice how a different skin is equally beautiful. You could give someone an opportunity that they might not have had before. You could grow up to help make the world a better and more inclusive place. You could do all this and more. Because you are so much more than the colour of your skin!

Divya Thomas is the author of I Am So Much More (HarperCollins).