Ending Discrimination, Embracing Humanity: Colors are beautiful

As a woman, I have experienced discrimination more than once in my life. But this article is not about me. It all began with a little boy, who one day asked a very big question…
Yes, it was an innocent question from a 5-year-old boy in an international school where I worked as an assistant teacher: “Jeanne, why is his skin brown and different from mine?” This student  was from Sweden, and his little friend was from India.

To answer their question, I took a round globe showing our Planet Earth and used a yellow ball to represent the sun. I showed the whole class that in some countries the sun shines at a direct and straight angle, stronger and for much longer compared to northern countries. Looking at the globe and the yellow ball, the children could see how the angle of the sun’s rays changes depending on where they reach the Earth.

I explained that in order for people in those countries not to get sunburned, their skin naturally became darker, working as a built-in protection. A little bit of geography, a little bit of biology, along with some drawings on a few pieces of paper, was enough for even these 5-year-old children to understand why some of their classmates had brown skin and others had white skin.

So why is it that some grown-ups still cannot understand these simple facts? I guess I was born colorblind, because I never truly understood racism. Or perhaps my neurodiversity has shaped my mind in a way that makes me think and feel that we are all equal on this planet.

Serious: I find racism, and discriminations of any kind, profoundly sad, because they cause so much pain. I also find it terrible, because it creates separation where bridges of understanding and compassion could be built.

No, I am not naïve. There are situations where I will not like a person, and it does not matter if their skin is blue or green, or if they pray to a God on a different planet. If a person treats others without respect, I will not like them. Point.
And if someone speaks or acts without consideration and behaves like a narcissistic elephant, I will not like that person either. And I will probably avoid this person, solely because of their lack of respect toward others. But this has absolutely nothing to do with skin color, only with the way that person chooses to act. The character and the qualities of a person’s heart are what I truly see and care about.

When I worked as a volunteer helping refugees who arrived in our country, I often encountered discrimination. At times, it felt necessary to explain to adults what I had once explained to children: that the reason some people have brown skin is simply a natural protection mechanism, shaped by biology and geography. But the true measure of a person lies in the heart, in their behavior, integrity, respect, and kindness. These are always choices each individual makes.

If, like me, you believe in the spiritual laws of reincarnation, then the whole question of skin color becomes obsolete and non-existent anyway. Moreover, if a person repeatedly harms people from a certain group, chances are it may be part of their karma to be born into that very same group in their next lifetime.

If you believe in reincarnation, you naturally understand, especially if you are an older Soul, that you have lived many lives across all continents, in different countries, and in different skin colors. This awareness allows you to meet people from every nation with the same compassion and respect. And often, when traveling, you may even feel that you have been there before, a long, long time ago…

In my personal understanding, we could all be one big, happy community wherever we live. We could share the wisdom of our elders, offer whatever helps others, support one another, and learn from each other in order to make this world a better place for all. When we choose respect and kindness, we build the new bridges our world truly needs.

The funny thing is that people in my own country sometimes look at me and ask where I am from. My answer is always gentle: does it truly matter, when what really counts is the heart?

With love, compassion, and a warm hug,
Jeanne
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#EndDiscrimination #EqualityForAll #StopRacism #JusticeForAll #UnityInDiversity #HumanRights #TogetherAsOne
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