Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

PHILADELPHIA - Crayola has announced that the color now known as 'Indian Red', which was introduced in 1958, is about to undergo a name change. The reason given for the change is because teachers, and some consumers, have said that children are being confused into thinking that the color represents the skin color of American Indians.

Louise Cosgrove, an art teacher in Allentown, said, "Little children take words and names very literally," and added, "to them, they think indian red is the color of a Native American's skin."

"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, said Stacy Gabrielle Crayola spokesperson, but the fact that some consumers feel strongly that it confuses children is reason enough."

The move has been applauded by The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). The NCAI sees the decision as a step toward the elimination of social stereotypes.

This is only the third time Crayola has renamed a color. The first change was the renaming of 'Prussian blue' to 'midnight blue'. According to Crayola the reason for the first change was because "teachers said, students were no longer familiar with Prussian History".

The second renaming of one of Crayola's colors was in 1962. The reason for the '62 color change was also based on skin color. This was a peak time in the civil rights movement, led by Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. The color known as 'flesh' was changed to 'peach'. The folks at Crayola said, it was done to reflect the fact that not everyone's skin tone is the same.

The leading U.S. producer of student and professional art materials, and crayon maker, Binney & Smith Inc., has invited the public to come up with a new name. The new color name and its author will be posted on the Crayola web site by July 31, 1999.

Crayola crayons are thought of as an American cultural icon. A 1958 Crayola box has been added to the Smithsonian Institution's, National Museum of American History exhibit. The 1903 introduction of the Crayola brand crayon's has been commemorated by the U.S. Post Office with with a new stamp.

Crayola is a subsidiary of, Binney & Smith Inc., an Easton, PA based company, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards Inc. The company has reportedly made more than 100 billion crayons during its 96-year history.