The pencil and the brown bag background have historical significance:
During the time of apartheid South Africa, pencils were swept through the hair of humans to determine whether they would be considered black/coloured or white. This is known as the pencil test. One would pass or fail this test. The result of these tests were a further splitting of society along racial and socio-economic lines.
The brown paper bag test is believed to have originated in an early 1900’s New Orleans, subsequently spreading to major American cities . It was used to determine admittance to parties, fraternities/sororities, and even colleges. A human was accepted if his or her skin tone was equivalent to or lighter than a brown paper bag. One would pass or fail this test. The result of these tests were a further splitting of African-American Communities along color lines.
The cruel color code has to be defeated by our love for one another.