Skin color shouldn’t matter but how we treat people always matters. Skin color is a mere, superficial physical characteristic, but humans have sure made it an emotional big deal and used it to intentionally divide people.

When we’re distracted by the color of skin, we miss really getting to know the person within. When you encounter the image of God in someone, the tone of their skin doesn’t matter. However, skin color matters to you:

• If you evaluate people because of their complexion,
• If you won’t choose to emotionally detach from it and examine racism rationally instead of defensively.
• If you don’t see cruelty that was done to any color of people as equally evil.
• If you memorialize injustice done to people of your color, but ignore that done to people of another color.
• If you look at people suspiciously because of their skin color.
• If you’re self-conscious when you’re the only person of your color in a group.
• If you’re unwilling to compassionately listen to people of a certain skin tone.

All history matters. A zeal for truth reveals history that’s been concealed and helps people be healed.

When skin color matters in how we evaluate history, that’s racism. Trafficking and abuse are equally evil, no matter the color of its victims.

Being honest about the injustice in our history is scary, but not nearly as scary as giving up on kindness, compassion, and truth. Historiphobia blurs our view reality. Here are some ways overcome our fear of the full story of American history.

Let's erase
The myth of race
And replace it
With the reality
Of the equality
Of all human life.

There is no they.
There is no them.
There’s just us
And we’re all
Equally human.