Writing the colors of the world p. 1: helping kids describe skin tone

Let's help kids write about people's skin color with accuracy and respect.

Dark-chocolate, milk chocolate, coffee, caramel, toffee, cocoa, brown sugar . . . wait, are we ordering lattes here?

That's the impression writers leave when they describe skin tone with food comparisons. And it happens a lot!

As parents and educators, we have a chance to guide our kids into thoughtful, inclusive descriptions of every human—regardless of skin color—on earth.

Why does this matter for children?

• They're still forming a world view. The ink hasn't dried yet—literally. We can help them develop empathy, identity, and awareness. Learning accurate, respectful description in writing is part of shaping global thinkers.

• We're their first editor. School-age kids need to write, redraft, and polish. We have the chance to help them without embarrassing them or causing them to shut down.

• Writing is a mirror, reflecting back what's inside. What better way to gently challenge words that reveal misconceptions or stereotypes?

Why food metaphors are problematic:

1. Using food terms to describe skin color can be demeaning. Even when not intended to offend, they reduce people to consumables, and some of them (like coffee and chocolate) are attached to colonization.

   
   

2. The default white issue. Often, authors describe only characters of color by their skin, while everyone else is assumed to be white. This reinforces the idea that whiteness is the baseline of comparison.

   
   

3. It disallows a person's full humanity. With so many features of a character available, why give prominence to skin color? Let's encourage kids to write in full dimension.

   
   

4. Individuals of color have indicated that they find it inappropriate. Reason enough. Refrain out of courtesy.

   
   

5. It's cliche. Reason enough. If our goal is to sharpen writing skills, young writers can come up with better alternatives.

In part 2, we'll discuss better ways to write the colors of the world.

🖌️Tip: Next time you're near the paint section of a store, take a few color cards that remind you of skin shades.

Ask your young writer to describe a shade without any food words.