I had a dream last night. It was very real and I have an odd feeling that it may be a glimpse of a past life. Note: I am white, blonde haired, blue eyed - you will need to know this.

In my dream I was an African American woman about 30. I’m guessing that it takes place during a time when blacks were looked down upon and killed by whites. I was married to a very tall African American man. My hair was black and slightly curly, my nails seemed very taken care of.

I remember having two kids. I didn’t see them in my dream, but remember being very scared that a white person would kill them. I remember having a very strong hate for whites. You have no idea how strong the feeling for my children was. It was so real!!

--Kendall, Age 13, Watertown, WI, USA

Hi Kendall -

I hope your dream was instructional about the false value of judging people by their “covers.” As human beings, we all share much more in common than we do differ from one another. The more you learn about people, the more you learn that skin color has got nothing to do with the quality of a person’s character.

In the 1950’s and 60’s in the United States, during an intense period of civil rights debates, protests, battles, demonstrations, and—eventually—legislation, a white reporter from Life magazine named John Howard Griffin toured the deep South—to write about racism in America.

To understand racism better, Mr. Griffin, a white man, colored his skin dark and dyed his hair black. With the use of dyes and pigment-enhancing medication, he was able to pass himself off as a black man. And then Mr. Griffin wrote about what it was like to be Black in America—and in the South especially.

America was segregated then. Blacks and whites had separate eating, drinking and public restrooms. There were “whites only” movie houses and “whites only” sections of public transportation buses. Unfair voting practices and non-representative judicial systems were rampant.

The title of Mr. Griffin’s book is “Black Like Me.” Visit the link and read some book reviews, and if you like what you read, ask your Mom or Dad to buy you a copy. “Black Like Me” is one of the most compelling accounts of the absurdity of racism ever written. You will be reminded of your dream often as you read it. As soon as Mr. Griffin changed the color of his skin, people began treating him differently—as if he was a stupid, dirty, and worthless man. A few days earlier though, he had been a respected reporter for Life magazine. Mr. Griffin’s disguise proved that prejudiced people are fools—unable to see past their own preconceptions.

Your dream shows that you already understand the violation that prejudice places upon the unique personalities of individuals everywhere. It’s a great wisdom to learn early. Prejudice always is a form of blindness. And in a world this rich, who wants to live with their eyes closed?