Multiculturalism

I saw a video in one of my classes about a way to teach children about multiculturalism and tolerance. I wish I knew whose idea it was so I could credit her, but unfortunately I am unsure. She sat all of the children in a circle and asked what color they were. The students responded with the typical black or white answers. Some of them were unsure. She then asked the question again, are you really black or white, or a shade in between. The students responded with a variety of answers. The teacher pulled out a box of flesh colored paints. One by one, she painted a small patch on the arms of the children. Once she found the color, she would announce to the class that this person has a skin color of warm cinnamon, or whatever color he or she was. The student would walk around the circle and show the rest of the class and then the next person would go. At the end of the activity, the teacher asked each student what color they were and they each responded with the color of the paint. She told them that everyone is different and that you should not judge someone because of their skin color. Then the students got to paint a self portrait using the color on their skin.  I think this is a great activity to do at the beginning of the year to begin talking about tolerance inside and outside of the classroom.