THE HANDS OF THE BLACKS”
“THE HANDS OF THE BLACKS” LUIS BERNARDO HONWANA 1969 SHARE THIS STORY FACEBOOK TWITTER TUMBLR EXCERPT I don't remember now how we got onto the subject, but one day Teacher said that the palms of the black's hands were much lighter than the rest of their bodies because only a few centuries ago they walked around on all fours, like wild animals, so their palms weren't exposed to the sun, which made the rest of their bodies darker and darker. I thought of this when Father Christiano told us after catechism that we were absolutely hopeless, and that even the blacks were better than us, and he went back to this thing about their hands being lighter, and said it was like that because they always went about with their hands folded together, praying in secret. I thought this was so funny, this thing of the black's hands being lighter, that you should just see me now — I don't let go of anyone, whoever they are, until they tell me why they think that the pa...