Wow! What A Journey So Far... by B. Woodard
Hi, ALL! For everyone new, I’m Bellen, 10 y/o rising 6th grader, and a little (lot!) curious. I’m also the President of #MorethanPeach which I started in spring 2019 because of what wasn’t.
For years, I’d heard and had been asked for the “skin-color” crayon in class and decided the language needed to change. (I also learned that it was really, actually named “flesh” by a big brand.) So I began responding when asked “What color would you like because it could be any number of beautiful colors?” (My mom had suggested I hand over the brown crayon but I knew how that felt and wanted a response that actually considered everyone—since that was, after all, my goal!) So I began using my own solution and that language managed to change how my teacher and classmates saw “skin”color”, the language used, AND it did away with the single “skin-color” default in my class…and eventually my school and community. And my goal became to have a brand to represent me and you—More than Peach—that would really, actually grow the language and spaces in classrooms around the world—and to get these in the hands of all students and classrooms. So, I created #MorethanPeach crayons+ and one of the first things I did was to name ALL my crayons “Skin-color!”:) The other narrative had to go. So that’s how Bellen’s More than Peach Project came to be and how the change started.
Something interesting about me? 🤔…maybe that I started reading when I was two and later skipped a grade.🤷🏽♀️
But #more importantly! #MorethanPeach from the start has represented kids across the globe by showing not only the beauty of many shades but also the power of “Kidhood!” (And yes, it’s the inspiration behind a big brand’s acts of inclusion and accessibility—and that’s a different story.) I look forward to sharing lots more, old and new—but all very relevant—with you in the days ahead. In the meantime, keep growing the language…and this world, one crayon at a time—and TY for supporting #morethanpeach.
For years, I’d heard and had been asked for the “skin-color” crayon in class and decided the language needed to change. (I also learned that it was really, actually named “flesh” by a big brand.) So I began responding when asked “What color would you like because it could be any number of beautiful colors?” (My mom had suggested I hand over the brown crayon but I knew how that felt and wanted a response that actually considered everyone—since that was, after all, my goal!) So I began using my own solution and that language managed to change how my teacher and classmates saw “skin”color”, the language used, AND it did away with the single “skin-color” default in my class…and eventually my school and community. And my goal became to have a brand to represent me and you—More than Peach—that would really, actually grow the language and spaces in classrooms around the world—and to get these in the hands of all students and classrooms. So, I created #MorethanPeach crayons+ and one of the first things I did was to name ALL my crayons “Skin-color!”:) The other narrative had to go. So that’s how Bellen’s More than Peach Project came to be and how the change started.
Something interesting about me? 🤔…maybe that I started reading when I was two and later skipped a grade.🤷🏽♀️
But #more importantly! #MorethanPeach from the start has represented kids across the globe by showing not only the beauty of many shades but also the power of “Kidhood!” (And yes, it’s the inspiration behind a big brand’s acts of inclusion and accessibility—and that’s a different story.) I look forward to sharing lots more, old and new—but all very relevant—with you in the days ahead. In the meantime, keep growing the language…and this world, one crayon at a time—and TY for supporting #morethanpeach.