Sending love in every shade of brown
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You can’t help but notice the pinky-beige colour of most plastic plaster strips in supermarkets and chemists. While most aren’t called ‘skin tone’ or ‘flesh coloured’ anymore, the colour remains dominant.
The emergence of brown bandages designed to suit diverse skin tones is a significant step toward greater inclusivity in everyday products. By introducing bandages in a range of shades, companies send an important message about the value of representation, even in seemingly small details.
Watch this promotional video from US brand Browndages featuring a song by Tariq Luqmaan Trotter better known as Black Thought. Invite your students to listen carefully to the thoughtful and catchy lyrics by the American rapper, singer and actor.
What about in Australia?
Although the widely available Bandaid brand introduced an ‘our tone’ range in 2021, I have still not found them for sale in supermarkets or chemists in Queensland or New South Wales. I was, however, able to purchase Tru-Colour plasters online in Australia.
Possible student research projects
This example can spark conversations with your students about the importance of inclusivity in design and how the changes that are being made, reflect broader societal progress toward equity and belonging. (I admit it doesn’t feel like this some days!) If researching the history of brown bandages, your students will discover companies including Soul Aid (1970s), Ebon-Aide (1990s) and more recently, Browndages and Tru-Colour. There are equally interesting things to discover about the ‘colour’ history of cosmetics, hosiery and prosthetics.
Additional Resources
Student Activities
- In a related, free online module you can view three short videos from people explaining how they have been discriminated against based on their appearance – including race. The module, Difference and Discrimination includes interactive activities designed for middle secondary students.
Professional Learning
- In our free online professional development course, Cohesion in Diversity: Exploring Identity and Resilience, there is a module entitled, ‘In the face of prejudice, how can we help students develop resilience?’
Further Exploration
- See related post, Crayon Activism
- View another Browndages advertisement showing some of the everyday experiences of racism for African Americans.
- Visit the online Redefining nude exhibition at the Science History Institute Museum & Library (Philadelphia, USA) https://www.sciencehistory.org/visit/exhibitions/redefining-nude/
About the Author
Kathleen (she/her) is a former primary school teacher. Her family came to Australia from Scotland and Ireland in the late 1800s. She was born on Mandandanji country in Roma and now lives and works on Kabi Kabi country on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
Copyright
Metadata © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Together for Humanity is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Copyright
Metadata © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Together for Humanity (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Together for Humanity is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Feature image modified from a photo by Crillmatic licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Stage: Secondary
- Curriculum: English
- Topics: Bullying, Racism and Prejudice