I just saw the movie "Hairspray" this afternoon. I liked the movie, it was fun. I saw it with my husband, but I know my 15 year old would like to see it with me too. I am a bit leery of seeing it with her and her questions.
It is set in 1962 (I was born in 1961) and has a light hearted look at racism and "fatism" if that is a word. It is hard to believe that during my lifetime people were treated like this. I married for the first time in 1986 and never really was concerned about marrying my husband (I am white, he is black), until I had children. I hate to see them hurt as any mom does. I hope that she will be able to tell her children that racism is ancient history and they never have to know it. Here are some pics of my beautiful biracial girls! Kierra "bobbing for donuts"
Mary they are simply gorgeous. I may see Hairspray at home, but I was not a fan of it the first time around...I hope it is better.
Mary your girls are gorgeous! I know you are so proud. We have lots of bi-racial couples and children here in the south where I live. We don't think a thing about it. All I know is that bi-racial babies have the most beautiful skin in the world!
One of my best friends has by-racial twin girls, one's black and one's white
The principal made a statement that I couldn't believe. We were talking about one of my students and he said...you can't expect much out of him 'cause ya know Native Americans aren't very smart. I said...hmmmm I guess I am the exception. He just walked out at that point.
Mary you have beautiful girls. I saw the original Hairspray but I'm gonna wait til it comes out on video.' He should have been fired Shelly! You should have told the superintendant. That is inexcuseable to me.
What would you have done Mary? Maybe I'm too quick to judge this.
WOW your Kayla looks exotic!
Kayla does look exotic. Man! I hope you have a very large bat Mary!
No, I didn't get offered a contract for the next year. As far as I am concerned he is just a very stupid and ignorant person, but I knew that before this year. I was there for the kids not him. I HATED working for him.
Mary, your daughters are just divine, beautiful girls. Racism needs to be a thing of the past.Mary, I saw Hairspray on Broadway, and it is one of my favorite shows because of it's wonderful messages! I think it is such a wonderful way to open up the discussion with your children. Although we still have a long way to go, it is nice to see how far we have come regarding tolerance for people who are different than we are.
I was born in 1958 in East Cleveland, OH. I grew up in a community which had been predominately white and rather rapidly changed to a predominately black community. I clearly remember the race riots that occurred, and the fear and anger brought about by the change. Smoke from fire bombs encircled our neighborhood as National Guard troops with their guns drawn drove around our block.
I remember my best friend in 5th grade was a black girl who was so much like me. She GOT me, we had the same crazy sense of humor (yeah, I was like that even back then!). I asked my mom if she could come to my house to play, or sleep over. I was told emphatically "No, what would the neighbors think! You can be friends with her at school, but she can't come here." That broke my heart, and I remember how unfair and wrong I knew it to be at the time. That's why the message in Hairspray meant so much to me.
I think it is important for your girls to know and embrace their identity, and to do that they need to know how hard it was for their ancestors.
Anyway, for the most part, kids have divided themselves by ethnicity. I don't think it's racism that divides them, I think it's that they naturally gravitate to kids that are like themselves, that share their own culture. Just like the jocks tend to hang together, as do the computer "geeks", the band etc. And sadly, in each subgroup there are kids that are mean, racist, that attack others for their differences or their weaknesses. I think it's the dark side of human nature. And I think it will always be with us to some degree.
Thanks for all the wonderful posts! I don't need a bat for Kayla, she lives near her dad in California and he is a Federal prison guardHi Mary,
Such beautiful daughters! They're so lucky to have you for their mother.
I hate to think that racism is a part of our world.
We've made it a point, as I'm sure many parents do, to explain that we are all children of God. No one is better than another, and we are different colors so that the world won't be so boring!
Oh Mary they are BEAUTIFUL girls!!