Crayola to Rename Indian Red Crayon Color
March 11, 1999 - 0:0
PHILADELPHIA The maker of Crayola Crayons is about to do something it has not done in 37 years rename one of its colors. Teachers and consumers say some children have the mistaken idea that the deep reddish-brown crayon called Indian Red is supposed to represent the skin color of American Indians. So, crayon maker Binney & Smith Inc., the leading U.S. producer of student and professional art materials, invited the public on Wednesday to come up with a new name that will be announced by July 31. The Easton, Pennsylvania-based company, a subsidiary of greeting cards giant Hallmark Cards Inc., has made more than 100 billion crayons during its 96-year history.
But this is only the third time it has renamed one. The name `Indian Red' was never meant to represent anyone's skin color. It refers to a pigment commonly found in India that artists use in oil paint. But the fact that some consumers feel strongly that it confuses children is reason enough, said Crayola Spokeswoman Stacy Gabrielle. The National Congress of American Indians applauded the decision as a step toward the elimination of social stereotypes.
Crayola Crayons rank as an American cultural icon and have been coloring the minds of American children for generations, particularly the baby boom generation which includes people born as recently as the early 1960s. Last year, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History added a 1958 Crayola box to its exhibit, while the U.S. Postal Service commemorated the 1903 introduction of the crayon brand with a new stamp.
The company boasts that the average American child still spends half an hour a day coloring and will wear down 730 crayons by the time he or she is 10 years old. Crayola last renamed one of its colors in 1962, near the height of the civil rights movement led by the late Martin Luther King. Skin color also played a role in that decision.
What had been known as flesh became peach to reflect the fact that not everyone's skin has the same hue. The color Indian Red was introduced in 1958, the same year Crayola made its first name change by replacing Prussian Blue with Midnight Blue. The stated reason then was that American children no longer related to Prussian history. Traditionally, the names of Crayola Crayon's 104 colors have come from the U.S. Commerce Department's National Bureau of Standards book called Color: Universal Language and Dictionary of Names. But in 1993, Binney & Smith took another tack by inviting consumers to name 16 new colors.
The company got 2 million entries. The winning suggestions came from people ranging in age from 5 to 89. On Wednesday, the company invited consumers to write to Crayola Color Change, P.O. Box 3546, Easton, Pa. 18043-3546, USA. The contestant with the winning entry will get a Certificate of Crayon Authorship and assorted Crayola products including a 64-crayon box with the renamed Crayon in it.
(Reuter)
But this is only the third time it has renamed one. The name `Indian Red' was never meant to represent anyone's skin color. It refers to a pigment commonly found in India that artists use in oil paint. But the fact that some consumers feel strongly that it confuses children is reason enough, said Crayola Spokeswoman Stacy Gabrielle. The National Congress of American Indians applauded the decision as a step toward the elimination of social stereotypes.
Crayola Crayons rank as an American cultural icon and have been coloring the minds of American children for generations, particularly the baby boom generation which includes people born as recently as the early 1960s. Last year, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History added a 1958 Crayola box to its exhibit, while the U.S. Postal Service commemorated the 1903 introduction of the crayon brand with a new stamp.
The company boasts that the average American child still spends half an hour a day coloring and will wear down 730 crayons by the time he or she is 10 years old. Crayola last renamed one of its colors in 1962, near the height of the civil rights movement led by the late Martin Luther King. Skin color also played a role in that decision.
What had been known as flesh became peach to reflect the fact that not everyone's skin has the same hue. The color Indian Red was introduced in 1958, the same year Crayola made its first name change by replacing Prussian Blue with Midnight Blue. The stated reason then was that American children no longer related to Prussian history. Traditionally, the names of Crayola Crayon's 104 colors have come from the U.S. Commerce Department's National Bureau of Standards book called Color: Universal Language and Dictionary of Names. But in 1993, Binney & Smith took another tack by inviting consumers to name 16 new colors.
The company got 2 million entries. The winning suggestions came from people ranging in age from 5 to 89. On Wednesday, the company invited consumers to write to Crayola Color Change, P.O. Box 3546, Easton, Pa. 18043-3546, USA. The contestant with the winning entry will get a Certificate of Crayon Authorship and assorted Crayola products including a 64-crayon box with the renamed Crayon in it.
(Reuter)