that song stuck in your head

Differences | Boston, MA (via chengpb)

I got my first negative response during this snapshot:

Angry Mom: Who’d you take a picture of, was it him? (I didn’t see who she was pointing to because I was trying to run away). 

Me: (running away) Um…no. (pointing to the lotto machine). 

I could have guessed who she was pointing to, but I avoided confrontation and just lied. Hopefully I’ll be more prepared to give an honest answer the next time someone reacts negatively. 

This photo speaks to me about kids’ reactions to differentness. I have no idea what the three kids were thinking. But, the older, White kid has an unwelcoming stare. The younger, White kid looks confused and curious. I didn’t see the Black kid’s expression.

Do kids learn how to respond to differentness? When was the first time that you (or I) treated someone differently because of how they looked? When and how do we unlearn or change this response?