...In 1940 Dr. Kenneth Clark conducted an experiment that studied the psychological effects of segregation on black children. In Clark's test, children were given a black doll and a white doll, and then asked which one they thought was better. Overwhelmingly, they chose the white doll. ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ 68 years later is this STILL the case? I can't help thinking the answer is yes. Black women in particular have been driven to look european in this society to be accepted. The long permed out hair, the weave, the fake contact lenses, the pressure to lose weight to fit the image of vogue magazine. Face reality ladies, these are all white european features. -------------------------------- -------------------------------- These cosmetic behaviors in black women tell me that they still have issues with who they truly are. Why can't you walk around with your hair natural? Why some of you feel you have to have liposuction, a nose job and blue eyes before going out in public? Some of you ain't ever going to be a size 2 as the bone structure of your black ancestry will not allow it....So live with it. Better yet, be proud of it!----- --------------------------------- Everytime I see a black woman newscaster now, she has to have the stringy permed hair, completely european features and talk like she's from England. Not that I think she should sound all ghetto but I find it curious how it's effected how I percieve black women now.------------- ---------------------------------- It's gotten to the point where I would freak out if I seen a black woman with just a plain ol' nappy head. In a wierd way it's stunted my own perception of black beauty. As beauty for black women now is to look as european as possible.--------- ---------------------------------- What's funny is when black women did have pride in their African features, white women wanted to look just like YOU. So lose the perm black women, throw the weave in the garbage, flush the fake contacts. Cause in the end, the black doll should always be better than the white doll....to the black woman.

Welcome all!!! This may work or it may not. I just wanted to see if this could be a refuge from the ignorance in the water cooler till BET get's around to doing their thang. Post whatever and let's keep this positive dialog goin...one.

I got that.

---

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

NoI'm over 30 and I still have a doll from my childhood.  She's black, because that's what I wanted (a doll that looked like me) and my parents refused to get me a white 1.I know I'm never going to be a size 2.   I look good and it's my goal to be healthy.  I'm happy to be a 14 or 16 and very glad that my doctor says I'm healthy (considering the numerous health problems on both sides of my family).Speaking of nappy hair, I seem to get more attention from fine black men now that I cut my hair off and quit getting perms.  But, I must admit that I still get my hair done when it gets too nappy/unmanageable.It made me mad when I went to buy my little cousin a black Barbie doll, only to find out that then the doll wasn't called Barbie.  Apparently black Barbies aren't/weren't called Barbie, so SOME black girls may prefer to have a white doll whose name is Barbie.  The same way a boy might want a football with the team he likes on it, but he probably won't want it with another team's name on it.   Sorry for using stereotypes to make a point.

I've NEVER allowed my daughter to have Caucasian dolls. I explained to her early in her childhood why she should have dolls who reflect her beauty.

When she see's herself and her kind as beautiful she will have positive reinforcement. I think women of color look like fools giving their children white dolls. When have you EVER seen white children playing with Black, Latino, or Asian dolls? NEVER! So why should we be foolish enough to do that? More Willie Lynchism.

Speaking of dolls, "Barbie" is banned out of middle eastern countries because of her provacative and "loose" attire and her unrealistic fortune. A friend of mine from Pakistan had me crying laughing when he was talking about the Barbie dolls. He said "that *27* has everything"! We were rolling. lol.

---

Some people say I start drama, I say I finish it.

TrueWisdom wrote: When have you EVER seen white children playing with Black, Latino, or Asian dolls? NEVER! >>>Very good point!

COSIGN, that is a good point.

---

~* I want a nice, hot cup of Ebony City with whipped cream on top and extra chocolate chips *~

My daughter has white and black dolls. When she was younger, we'd go to the store and she'd say, "I want a brown doll, and that pink one over there." I liked that she spoke about skin color like the colors in her crayola box. Sadly, she lost her color innocence at shool when white children isisted she was black and not brown like the color she saw in the mirror. It broke my heart because I did not want to have to deal with the race issue so early. To see her so sad because she was told she was black and not pretty because of it just tore me up.

---

The surest defense against evil is extreme individualism. Evil is a sucker for solidarity. It always goes for big numbers, Ideological purity, drilled armies and balance sheets.

www.whyibetrippin.blogspot.com

 Immot wrote:My daughter has white and black dolls. When she was younger, we'd go to the store and she'd say, "I want a brown doll, and that pink one over there." I liked that she spoke about skin color like the colors in her crayola box. Sadly, she lost her color innocence at shool when white children isisted she was black and not brown like the color she saw in the mirror. It broke my heart because I did not want to have to deal with the race issue so early. To see her so sad because she was told she was black and not pretty because of it just tore me up.

 

Well what did you do about that? Did you explain to her why people do that? Did you remind her that she is a Queen and is to be cherished and have wars fought for her?

To hell with whoever still lives in that sick mindset. I let mines know who she is and I make sure she is reminded of it constantly. Far too many of our little girls are being disrespected, peed on (R. Kelly), and never asked for marriage before they are deflowered. This has to stop! And it starts with positive reinforcement of self and kind.

---

Some people say I start drama, I say I finish it.

I reninforce all the time to my daughter that she is always beautiful to me in appearance, mind and spirit.  I won't even let her get her hair relaxed, and she knows it's because I believe she shouldn't have to fry herself with chemicals to live up to an untrue standard of beauty. She gets good grades and loves shcool in spite of this incident and others that have tested her. She's 13 now and will probably stop playing with dolls soon but she does still have black and white dolls. She's knows all people have their own beauty in their own way.

---

The surest defense against evil is extreme individualism. Evil is a sucker for solidarity. It always goes for big numbers, Ideological purity, drilled armies and balance sheets.

www.whyibetrippin.blogspot.com

@ Immot...I felt very bad at your first response but the 2nd one showed hope. Maybe that's the key. If a black girl has all races of dolls she'll grow up respecting all races. I dunno, it sounds logical to me. When you said, "I reninforce all the time to my daughter that she is always beautiful to me in appearance, mind and spirit". I was thinking that's cool, but the bottom line is will she always be beautiful, mind and spirit to herself. I'm sure that's the case, that was just the first thing that came to my mind though. Good for you, sound like a level headed girl you got there....one.

My niece has this thing where she thinks white is better. We were drawing and she told me to draw the girl with long beautiful blonde hair, I told her I don't think I can do that. We go on barbie.com and makeover our own barbies, she has this thing where she likes the complexion to be light/pale white instead of darker, I always tell her to use the chocolate one. She doesn't buy barbies, they get her bratz, but they tend to look hispanic. She is 5 and knows the races, which I was surprised about but I'm trying to find out why she thinks white is the standard of beauty. I had nothing but black dolls growing up.

I read up on and saw the videos of the black girls who chose white dolls. It seemed real odd that over half of these girls didnt identify the better doll with themselves. It was an argument that mabye the white doll was prettier. Did she look better and was chosen as the best? It seemed like some tried to downplay the issue.  I only buy black dolls for my baby. My mother has a collection of Barbies that my baby is so fortunate to open :)  She now has Caucasion and Hispanic looking barbies and Bratz, which I dont deny her. I just always wanted her to be able to identify with who she is. She plays with all of them.  I do notice that most of the time, she has the Caucasion Barbie. She has two Caucasion Barbies out of 7 dark skinned or ethnic looking.  The Little Mermaid is without a doubt, no questions asked... but the other doll gets more attention.  Mabye because she does look different out of the bunch. I dont know.....

---