Story of my life!
Here I am at Sunny Acres Day Camp outside of Albany, NY in 1980. I’m not sure how much I noticed, or minded, being the only kid of color in so many situations for so much of my childhood, but I didn’t really vocalize my feelings about it until years later. Looking back at pictures like this one though, I wonder what impact it had on me in the moment. Did it affect my personality? My confidence? My comfort? Were the camp counselors ever tempted to call in the authorities on suspicion of kidnapping when my white mom came to pick me up (as happened to this Virginia family recently)?
Of course, my use of the term “only black kid” is, on the surface, in contrast to my usual “I’m mixed, not black” perspective. It’s true, I normally rant about how mixed is not the same as black, and have used a whole heap of web space exploring all the ways my experience is unique. But there is overlap too. It’s obvious that “black” is the way us mixed kids are often seen, and in turn the way we sometimes see ourselves. Regardless of how I understood race at the time (probably something like, Race? Ready, set, go!), here I am – the only caramel-skinned camper who didn’t owe it to a tan. It was a situation typical of my life as a child.
Ok, now you’re it!
Was this the story of your life too? If so, send me a picture of you as the only black kid to newmeadow@gmail.com or tweet me at @newmeadow #onlyblackkid and I’ll post it here! Please tell me your name and the city/state/country where the picture was taken. If you’d like, you can also include a brief paragraph describing your memories regarding the picture, or your general feelings about being the “only black kid.” I think these photos are really meaningful in remembering, and relating, what it’s like to be a kid of color.
White Girl in Black Face 