Negative self-image and the impact of a lack of diversity in schools

Dr. Tony Sturdevant shares her personal experience of how her daughter developed a negative self-image about her skin color while attending a predominantly white school. Despite efforts to create a positive environment at home, her daughter expressed a preference for lighter skin and wished for blue eyes. Concerned about the impact on her daughter's self-esteem, Sturdevant conducted research on racial identity development in young children. She observed through her study that children displayed a bias towards dolls with lighter skin tones and often mistreated black dolls. This bias revealed the influence of societal beliefs about race on children's self-perception. Sturdevant argues that parents and educators should be intentional in fostering positive racial identities and creating diverse and inclusive environments for children.