Crayola is making an effort to promote inclusivity with a new line of crayons.
On Thursday, the art supply brand announced its new “Colors of the World” skin tone crayons, sold in 24- and 32-count packs.
The packs include side panels with the color names, including “light almond,” “deep rose” and “medium golden.” Each crayon label also lists the color name in English, Spanish and French.
“With the world growing more diverse than ever before, Crayola hopes our new Colors of the World crayons will increase representation and foster a greater sense of belonging and acceptance,” Crayola CEO Rich Wuerthele stated in a news release. “We want the new Colors of the World crayons to advance inclusion within creativity and impact how kids express themselves.”
To create the new colors, Crayola teamed up with MOB Beauty co-founder and CEO Victor Casale. The announcement coincided with the United Nations-sanctioned World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
Many have bemoaned the lack of skin color inclusivity in art supplies like crayons. In 2019, Virginia elementary school student Bellen Woodard launched the “More Than Peach” project to bring more multicultural art supplies and awareness to classrooms in the U.S.
Crayola’s “Colors of the World” line also includes a coloring book featuring landmarks and characters around the globe. The new products will be available in July.