“They seem like a normal family”, that’s what 11 year old Elle replied when asked what she thought about the family in the now infamous interracial Cheerios commercial that depicts a White mom, a Black dad, and a biracial daughter. The video above, filmed by the Fine Brothers,  was created to address  the “sensitive subject of racism and its impact on individuals, families, and the world at large,” as stated in the disclaimer in the beginning of the video.

As you will see in the video, each child is asked their thoughts on the commercial and their opinion on the negative comments made by some who had a problem with the content because the family depicted in the commercial is mixed race. The children ranging in age from 7 to 13 provide some great insight on the changing family landscape in America, with 11 yr old Morgan emphatically stating that if two people love each other then that’s all that matters. Another young girl asks “When was this video made? In the 1950’s? That’s so stupid.”

The children’s responses to the video clearly highlight that some people are indeed stuck in an era that has long since passed. It is almost unbelievable that in a country that elected its first African-American President, a commercial, that depicts the reality of the changing family structure in America would be an issue among some Americans.

These children are witty, smart, funny, and an example that hate and racism are qualities that are taught. I have always believed that no one is born a racist. The beliefs of superiority and hatred are things that are taught either directly or indirectly by what we expose our children to. As the mother of a bi-racial little girl I always worry about how my daughter will be treated by others. This video gives me hope that we as a society are not doomed.  13 year old Jake reminds us that he thought “Martin Luther King spoke against this and fixed this already.” Clearly as a country we’re not quite where Dr. King would have hoped for us to be.

I would love to hear your thoughts.