Hello. I desperately need to confess. I am sorry.

I am deeply, deeply sorry.

I traumatized a boy in kindergarten.

I was six and had just arrived from China to a more multiethnic country, I won't say where. I was 6 and started kindergarten. I didn't know any Black people, relevant. My parents were extremely colourist and made me associate darker tones with bad.

This Black boy in kindergarten was extremely nice to me. I didn't speak English nor French, but he always smiled at me. I didn't understand him, nor did he understand me. But what did I do? I kept touching his hair. Constantly.

You see, I didn't know it was racist at the time. But I'm not one to drown myself in explanations. I'll be the first to say I should have known better.

This boy only tried to be kind. In exchange, I traumatized him.

My teacher didn't do anything about it. I wish she had disciplined me. What's a few more tears if I could have learned something? But she didn't. I couldn't tell my family my best friend in kindergarten was Black, either.

It's something crazy to think about, that some people get mad at their kindergarten teachers for a racist comment they meant as innocuous. I say no. I should've known better. Every child at every age should know better. I wish I had been disciplined.

Now I am left swallowing my pride, but it must be much worse for the boy swallowing in his trauma.

I don't know any Black people who wouldn't hate me for it. I am not good at speeches. Here, I can write without a word limit. I found a Black account I liked with something I could write anonymously without a word limit.

Therefore, I apologize.

To him, to you, to the Black community across the world.