Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. Learn more.
Why do different people have different colors of skin? Science gives us a clue.
Key Points:
- Melanin gives skin and hair their colors. It takes two forms. Eumelanin allows for darker skin tones and black, brown, and blonde hair. Pheomelanin allows for the reddish browns of freckles and red hair.
- When skin is exposed to sunlight for too long, the UV rays damage our skin cells and our skin begins to burn. Our ancestors’ bodies coped with this effect through melanin production.
- The type and amount of melanin will determine skin tone as well as how protected a person is from the sun.
- Over the course of generations, people who lived in sun-soaked areas close to the equator developed more and more eumelanin. This allowed them to endure the harsh sunlight in addition to darkening their skin over time.
- For those who migrated to less-sunny areas, too much melanin was not beneficial. Over time, their and their descendents’ bodies coped by producing less eumelaning, which caused them to inherit lighter-toned skin.
Quote This:
I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. -Martin Luther King, Jr.
Talk About It
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Why do you think skin color or ethnic background can be such a divisive issue in some cultures?
- Is it surprising to you that our bodies adapt to our environment over time? Give some other examples of how this happens.
- How do you think skin color affects a person’s life? Explain.
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
