In this video, Pastor T.D. Jakes shares the heartbreaking conversation that he had with his twin boys about race.

“I can remember I was living in West Virginia, and my twins are fraternal. They’re not identical. One of them is much lighter than the other one. And the other one is much darker,” Pastor T.D. Jakes shared.

“So, I told the lighter one whose name is Jahmar, I said ‘When I was your age, I was your color, and as I got older, I got darker.’ He started crying and said, ‘I don’t want to be dark like Jamé.’ And I said, ‘Why do you say that?’ He said, ‘Because the darker you are, the more they hate you.’ And I lost it.”

Pastor T.D. Jakes goes on to explain how he couldn’t believe his young son had already experienced racism at such a young age. “I was shocked that he had encountered that, and I didn’t know it. The he had experienced racism that early. That he had drawn conclusion about it in his own mind without me shaping it,” he said. “And I’m telling them ‘You’re beautiful, black boys, and you have nothing to be ashamed about. And there’s nothing wrong with your hair or your lips. And your skin, no matter how dark you are, you were made fearfully and marvelously by God to be the color you are and enjoy the skin that you’re in. And wear it with such pride that other people envy it. And I started telling them things that I should have been telling them, but that I didn’t think you’d have to tell a six year old about, about being careful and handling certain situations, and later on the conversation about the police.”

Unfortunately, people still experience racism in this country, but it is our job as followers of Christ to show love to all our brothers and sisters. We are all children of God and are valued and loved by our Creator.