We’re Not “Black and White”—Everyone Is Brown

That line in the well-known children’s chorus “Jesus Loves the Little Children” implies the existence of different races. And while the sentiment that Jesus loves children, and all are precious in his sight, is certainly biblically accurate, this idea of “red,” “yellow,” “black,” and “white” comes from the idea that people have different skin colors and belong to different races. But everyone has the same basic skin color from the brown pigment melanin, but they have varying shades.

Based on Darwin’s ideas, generations were taught that there were different races on the earth, with the supposed Caucasian race at the top. For example, in a textbook published in 1914 and used across America, high school biology students were taught:

At the present time there exist upon the earth five races . . . the highest type of all, the Caucasians, represented by the civilized white inhabitants of Europe and America.1

Based on Darwin’s ideas, generations were taught that there were different races on the earth, with the supposed Caucasian race at the top.

While such ideas are consistent with evolutionary beliefs (although observational science has shown these ideas to be utterly wrong and most evolutionists have since abandoned them), Christians should immediately recognize that they run contrary to biblical truth.

God’s Word teaches that we’re all descended from the first two people, Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:27, 3:20, 1 Corinthians 15:45), and therefore there is only one race of humans (Acts 17:26)—Adam’s race. Sadly, at the time of Darwin, many Christians had already compromised God’s Word with the belief in millions of years and therefore didn’t stand on the authority of God’s Word and the true history of the world to refute Darwin, and others’, dangerous and racist teachings.

We aren’t “red and yellow, black and white”—we’re all brown. Everyone is brown. Some people are very light brown; others are very dark brown, and others are in-between. But everyone is a variation of the same basic color—brown. Now there are other factors such as fat in the skin, closeness of blood vessels to the surface, and so on that can give some differences. But that doesn’t negate the fact everyone is the same basic skin color.

You see, each person has a brownish pigment in their skin called melanin. While other pigments and factors are involved, melanin is the main pigment that gives each person their individual skin shade. And the amount of melanin a person produces is determined by their genetic makeup, inherited from their parents. To put it simplistically, if a person has a small amount of melanin, they will have a light brown shade of skin. If a person has a lot of melanin, they will have a dark brown shade of skin. It’s not a matter of black and white—everyone is brown!

That biological fact is the basis of an ad campaign we recently launched. You may see our eye-grabbing “Everyone Is Brown” ads while you are scrolling social media.

In [Dr. Ware’s] new series Grace Relations you’ll discover how biblical truth and the gospel apply to the tensions and prejudices in our nation.

These ads direct people to Answers.tv and a brand-new series featuring my friend and the co-author of One Race, One Blood Dr. Charles Ware. Dr. Ware is the executive director of Grace Relations at the College of Biblical Studies, and he is passionate about the message of grace—not race—relations. In his new series Grace Relations, you’ll discover how biblical truth and the gospel apply to the tensions and prejudices in our nation. Get answers that will change hearts and create lasting change in this powerful series, with new episodes streaming throughout the month of August on Answers TV.

Find the answer to racism at Answers.tv/grace-relations. (Answers TV is available on your web browser on any device or through a variety of apps).

That’s why I prefer these lyrics to “Jesus Loves the Little Children” to reflect the biblical truth that we’re all one race and differences in our skin shade are minor:

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.