The speaker discusses their observations of bias and mistreatment towards black dolls in a classroom setting. They highlight incidents of leaving the dolls on the floor, pulling their heads back, and not engaging in nurturing play, as well as comments on the speaker's Afro hair and preference for straight hair. The chapter concludes with a mention of a child who showed kindness towards the black doll, attributed to his home context where race was discussed and celebrated.
Dolls can tell us a lot about how kids see the world – especially when it comes to race.
One American researcher spent months watching pre-schoolers play with dolls and what she observed shocked her.
Plus, did you know the very first study of children and their thoughts about dolls actually changed the course of American history?
First broadcast 4 April 2021.