We got a Wii last week. Jayden was watching Brian play the tennis game on it, and he started talking about "that chocolate man." One of the Miis, Wii characters, is black.
I know that may seem cute to some people, but Brian and I were floored. Really. I couldn't believe my son would say that. He didn't mean anything racist by it; he's 4. When Brian and I talked about it later, I realized my son's never met anyone who's black. That realization hit me pretty hard.
A number of Brian's co-workers are Mexican or Indian. There is one African American man who works with Brian, but he's on a different floor. I don't think the kids have met him. There certainly are no black children at his preschool. The only non-white child is an Indian girl who's adopted by white people. Everyone else is Mayflower white.
We've talked about there being little diversity here, but I don't think it ever really sank in the way it did yesterday. When Brian and I met in college, he told me that he didn't meet anyone who was black until he was 16. I really didn't understand how that was possible, but then today I thought that I'm setting my children up for the same situation. I really don't want to do that.
Brian and I revisited moving last night, and Brian said that in his heart, he really wants to move. He doesn't want to be stuck here. And now after that conversation I'm thinking that's a great idea.
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