Why Black Dolls Matter

"The big, the special, the loving gift was always a big, blue-eyed Baby Doll. From the clucking sounds of adults I knew that the doll represented what they thought was my fondest wish. ... Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspapers, window signs—all the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll was what every girl child treasured. 'Here,' they said, 'this is beautiful, and if you are on this day "worthy" you may have it."

In this passage from The Bluest Eye, young Claudia spells out why Pecola Breedlove so desperately desires blue eyes — because blue eyes, white skin, and blond hair represent the pinnacle of beauty, at least according to popular culture.

Researchers have been studying representation in dolls for ages. In 1947, Kenneth and Mamie Clark published this study, asking young African American children to pick out dolls that represent themselves, as well as to pick out dolls that they consider good and bad and that they'd most like to play with. Considered a landmark study, the findings reveal that a majority of the children associate white dolls with "good," black dolls with "bad," and continue to explain that, when asked to pick out the doll that closest represents themselves, several children broke down crying and would not choose.

There have been more black and brown dolls created and sold in the intervening years — I fondly remember cuddling with my black Cabbage Patch Kid, Vivian, and dressing up Whitney, my black Barbie doll, while my daughter has Doc McStuffins toys that she plays with. Even Disney is making strides toward diversity, introducing Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, Moana, Mulan, and Jasmine from Aladdin. But still, newer versions of the Clark study reveal the same results — both black and white children prefer white dolls to black ones, showing that systemic racism starts early.

Check out this blog post for a really great first-person account of why having dolls that look like you matters. As the author says, "All it takes is for one small thought like 'black dolls are stupid compared to white dolls' or “Superman isn’t Mexican” and little by little, you’ll start to pick apart certain things and relate them back to you."

And for those of us who are not people of color, this blog post offers an excellent reason why we not only need to make sure our kids have toys representing a variety of races and cultures, but also by supporting that with experiences and discussion.