Truth Is Discovered By Careful Examination by Robert Socha

I learned recently “that back in the late 19th century and early 20th century, it was common for mothers to be told that boys should be dressed in a masculine color like pink in order to grow into a more manly individual later in life, while girls should be dressed in a more feminine alternative like blue.[i]”

Apparently, because pink is associated with red, and red is the color of blood, it was naturally assumed that pink should be a masculine color. I will admit that pink, especially a pastel, accentuates my complexion and brings out my eyes, but I digress.

How did I come across such forgotten trivia? I conversed with one of my daughter’s peers while we waited for the next event at an indoor track meet to begin. We were waiting for her older sister, a freshman at the college my oldest daughter is enrolled, to run the 800. I asked her how she was coping with her sister’s absence, and she politely replied with a cursory, “it is getting easier.” Then I encouraged her because she will join her sister next year as a freshman in college. Such a tremendous opportunity our collegiate has, helping the next generations contemplate life’s challenges and give them a future and a hope. This is why, if college is deemed necessary in a child’s progression, careful consideration must prevail in the college of choice, and there are few viable options for pursuing Truth!

I continued the conversation by telling her some of the books I have read this year from her high school’s library: Animal Farm, by George Orwell, where “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,” a pointedly candid tale of communism’s failures; The Story of Florence Nightingale, by Margaret Leighton, a riveting biographical portrayal of the woman who made nursing noble and inspired the International Red Cross’s creation; A Night to Remember, by Walter Lord, where first-hand accounts and revealing quotes exposing the most profound aspects of man’s depravity and the most significant accomplishments of man’s selflessness from those who survived the sinking of the Titanic engrossed me to complete the 164 pages in two evenings; and April Morning, by Howard Fast, about a 15-year-old boy’s coming of age during the Battle of Lexington in the opening salvo of the American Revolutionary War. She fondly remembered a couple of them but regrettably had not read the other two.

Our discussion continued when I inquired about her Capstone’s premise. The Academy my children attend requires its seniors to complete two Captones to graduate high school. The first Capstone is in science, and the second is in literature. Her first Capstone is why color is associated with gender and how it has morphed over the years to our current understanding that pink is the color for girls and blue is predominately for boys. However, as I indicated above, that has not always been the case and was altered in the mid-1900s.

What a fascinating enlightenment. Less than 100 years ago, pink was considered masculine and defined the boy, while blue was associated with the Virgin Mary and defined the girl. I was incredulous and could scarcely believe what she was telling me. Although I did not doubt her research, that simple statement contradicts everything I understood about color and gender, and it prompted revelation:

Suppose our media can coopt the designation of color and gender, changing society’s opinion of the matter, a seemingly insignificant societal norm. How much more can they manipulate the public consciousness to follow particular patterns? Over the past few years, we have witnessed this adulteration of complex situations ad nauseum and continue to be bombarded with “mainstream” thought. We must continue scrutinizing everything we hear and research ourselves to siphon the Truth from every occurrence. We should emulate the Berean’s example and search, especially Scripture, to see if a thing is what it portends.

[i]Here’s Why it All Changed: Pink Used to be a Boy’s Color & Blue For Girls (thevintagenews.com)