Yes, Child, Obama IS Black

I am white. Very white. I don't really think about race all that much. Then I had children.

And then, election 2008 came about. Ah, Obama. The first black President. My dear friend Hannah turned me on to educational placemats. We turn meal time into learning opportunities at my house. And as soon as Obama was added to the Presidential placemats, by golly, it was proudly placed at our table. "Who's that?" This is President Clinton! "Who's that?" This is President Obama! "brown?" Yes, Annabel, President Obama has brown skin!

Of course, we were pleased as punch. Our child has been racially diversified. Never mind seeing people of every race and nationality every single day of their lives, living next to the research triangle as we do. We now have it on a placemat in our kitchen. Now all we need are multicultural Cabbage Patch dolls, and we will be hip parents, on our way to teaching our child racial tolerence and the beauty of diversity!

Nay, I tell you. After making the drastic parenting error of going through the car wash with CHILDREN in my car, I pulled over into a gas station / car wash lot. I took Annabel out of her seat to calm her down. As we stood next to the car, my little two year old suddenly got wide little eyes, and started trembling with excitement. Surrounded by at least a dozen people, my little angel started screaming and pointing. "OBAMA! MAMA, DAT'S OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA HAS BROWN SKIN! MAMA! IT'S OBAMA!!!!!" Lest anyone miss a word of this, she's wildly gesticulating to every person who isn't as lily white as we are. I probably don't need to tell you that the Presidential limo was not in this parking lot. I stuffed her back in her seat, as she craned her neck to see her placemat brought to life. "No, I want to see Obama!! Obama has brown skin!" We should have bought the Cabbage Patch dolls.