Thandie Newton a well known Hollywood star was in London recently where she was appalled by what she saw in a local Starbucks store. The Store had a statue of a dark skinned boy wearing a Loin cloth and Safari hat and had Colombia and espresso written on a placard that hung around the child statue’s neck.

The tweeted photo generated criticism for Starbucks which in turn tweeted an apology and said that they had opened an investigation.However the question remains to be asked why was that statue there in the first place.

Did the store or people responsible for it believe that dark skinned or should I say black kids, wearing nothing but covering their modesty, define the idea of Colombia for them? For them is the idea of child labour minuscule where kids work in fields and not get education is ‘ok’ because it is happening in another country?

The incident received limelight because a celebrity had raised a voice regarding it and kudos to her for doing it. Starbucks too was quick to respond but would they have responded so swiftly had a common person raised a voice regarding it?

Race and colour has divided people since time immemorial. One particular race and colour considering themselves to be greater than the other. To the people putting up the statue it may not even have occurred the offence it could cause.

It is because when society accepts unacceptable practices is when such things happen. It is like bullying, the bully thinks he or she is having fun indulging in what they think to be an innocent fun act.

However the trauma caused to the person bullied is anything but fun.

People need to be sensitive and have empathy and avoid stereotyping other people let alone considering a poor shirtless boy to be a welcome sign for a person about to have a cup of coffee.

….in short, the fog of white supremacy blinds those wrapped up in it from noticing when they offend others…but what do you think?