Crayola Rebrands Colored Pencils As 'Pencils Of Color'
EASTON, PA—Hallmark, the parent company of Crayola LLC, announced today that they are rebranding their beloved colored pencils with the new term “pencils of color.”
The move is just one of many instances of organizations updating racially- and ethnically-insensitive names, logos, and products in light of a growing social justice movement. Land O’ Lakes removed the Native American woman from their logo. McDonald’s dropped the Scotch-Irish surname prefix “Mc” from their brand name and menu items (now serving items like The Chicken and The Rib). Even White Castle was rebranded as The Caucasian Castle.
Hallmark’s press release noted that Crayola seeks to initiate a social justice movement that “breaks down existing barriers for pencils of color,” hurdles that society “all too often accepts as just the way things are.” The company explained that most pencil sharpeners are designed specifically for lead pencils.
“This is only one of the numerous injustices pencils of color have suffered for decades,” they continued, “and we must recognize the unfair burden that these pencils are forced to carry. Also, ever notice how the white pencil is basically useless? Just saying.”
Hallmark gave examples of various concepts that describe the relationships between pencils of color, graphite pencils, and society:
Write Supremacy: the belief that graphite pencils are inherently superior to pencils of color and other marginalized utensil groups.
Ex: some people will refuse to work with pencils of color, particularly in professional settings. Many believe that pencils ought to be relegated to specific uses and should never be used for writing in place of graphite pencils.
Graphite Privilege: advantages in various settings that graphite pencils have over pencils of color, largely due to systematic biases which exist in employment and education. Society is set up in such a way that graphite pencils will frequently be preferred over pencils of color, generally making it easier for them to succeed.
Ex: most erasers and sharpeners are made solely to accommodate the needs of graphite pencils, thus creating a system of sharpener segregation.
Erasism: bias and prejudice directed at writing utensils, generally pencils of color, due to the color of their lead.
Ex: work completed by pencils of color is often rejected and considered “unprofessional” or “unacceptable” solely because it was not done by a graphite pencil. Systemic erasim contributes to the collective oppression of pencils of color.
Inkstitutional Racism: unfair and discriminatory policies ingrained in society’s institutions that result in inequality between pencils of color and pens.
Ex: The work of pencils of color is erased at rates exponentially higher than the rates of ink pens.
Cultural Artpropriation: when a dominant writing utensil group (usually ink and graphite) adopts the cultural art styles of a marginalized utensil group.
Ex: graphite pencils will sometimes mimic the art styles and techniques of pencils of color in their artwork. These styles and techniques are often criticized and scrutinized when done by pencils of color but not when done by graphite or ink utensils.
Hallmark also announced that all their pencil sharpeners will now be made to properly accommodate both pencils of color and graphite pencils. They also committed to donating $10 million over the next five years to various charities affiliated with the Black Lines Matter movement, a coalition of advocates for the rights, equity, and better treatment of black and brown pencils. The group has been condemned by many of its detractors for the marksist views of its founders and for promoting controversial ideas such as critical trace theory.
