If the thought of not having your color of skin represented in many products never crossed your mind, consider yourself privileged. Last week, one man's tweet has struck a chord with people on Twitter and it was a learning moment for many. Something as trivial as a bandage has made Dominique Apollon, a 45-year old researcher for racial justice, emotional. For the first time in his life, the man put on a bandage on his cut and it matched the color of his skin. For some, it may seem insignificant but the overwhelming response from people has proved that even the most minor things do matter when it comes to representation.
More info: Twitter
Last week, Dominique Apollon shared a tweet about wearing a bandage in his skin color for the first time
Image credits: ApollonTweets
The man posted two photos of his hand with a bandage on it and tweeted: "It's taken me 45 trips around the sun, but for the first time in my life I know what it feels like to have a "band-aid" in my own skin tone. You can barely even spot it in the first image. For real I'm holding back tears." His post has since been retweeted almost 100,000 times and many people chimed in the Twitter thread showing their support and understanding for Dominique.
The emotional tweet quickly went viral
Image credits: ApollonTweets
The feeling of having been represented brought up an emotional response from Dominique
Image credits: ApollonTweets
He later added to his first tweet: "Not like I didn't know these strips existed. But I definitely didn't expect the complex emotions that would swirl as I watched it just ... blend in. A seemingly trivial exercise I've repeated 1000x on my body with "regular" ones since childhood. Self-administered #antiblackness." Some people have responded to Dominique's tweets saying that minor things like that were actually the cause that made them aware of their race when they were children.
"This felt like belonging. Like feeling valued"
Image credits: ApollonTweets
In a follow-up tweet, Dominique added "Sadness for my younger self and millions of kids of color, esp[ecially] black kids. Like a reminder of countless spaces where my skin is still not welcomed. Feared. Hated. Like, "Why am I really thinking all this 'bout an effing band-aid?"
For a comparison, Dominique took a pic with his hand with a clear bandage on
Image credits: ApollonTweets
The photo was captioned: "Clear one looks like this on me. It's a white patch in the middle. But honestly, if you're focusing on the band-aid, you missed the point. It's not about an exact skin match for all people. It's about belonging. Racial inclusion. It's not about the band-aid." For those interested in the bandage brand, Dominique tweeted: "Bought these Tru-Colour bandages almost as an afterthought at the online FSA Store months ago, spending down health care my employer thankfully provides. [Don't know] enough about [the] manufacturer to fully vouch for them, but truly appreciate how valued their product made me feel."
Numerous people on Twitter have recognized the need for such bandages and representation in general
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Even the English actor John Boyega, who played Finn in two of the Star Wars movies, joined in the thread putting his two cents on the topic.
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For those who didn't seem to get the importance of skin-colored bandages, Dominique explained that the lack of availability of such products felt like "exclusion through a thousand cuts." He has also pointed out that it fits a broader pattern of exclusion, such as crayons, lingerie and even ballet shoes that are often named to be flesh-colored or 'nude.' "I'm not saying that the industry should be designing bandages with shades that match every skin tone in the human spectrum," Dominique said. "The point is in a just society, everyone should feel so valued, so embraced, and seen."
For some, it was a learning moment
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And some were inspired to stock up multi-colored bandages in their workplaces
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The thread on Twitter became so popular, the brand itself that made the bandage Dominique was using, responded
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Tru-Colour Bandages, a company that makes bandages in various skin tones, was in fact started by a father who has mix-raced children and was worried that they might struggle with moments of exclusion.
After his Twitter thread went viral, Dominique was glad his voice was heard
Image credits: ApollonTweets