Before revision: Because asphalt is dark brown to black, some who heard the term "tar baby" who were unfamiliar with the original story or established idiom assumed it was a term to disparagingly refer to black people, especially black children .
After revision: Because asphalt is dark brown to black, some who heard the term "tar baby" who were unfamiliar with the original story or established idiom assumed it was a term to disparagingly refer to black people, especially black children