It is unlikely that serious research has ever been carried out on this topic, but one single case, it seems to us, proves everything.
Meet Sophia Banner, she is two years old, she lives in South Carolina and dreams of becoming a doctor. She is also a celebrity.
It all started with an ordinary trip to a local supermarket. Sofia’s mom, Brandy, took her daughter with her to buy her a little gift in honor of … well, in general, she finally learned to potty. Sofia, of course, chose a doll. And, keeping in mind who she wants to become when she grows up, it’s no surprise that the doll turned out to be a doctor. What was unexpected was the cashier’s reaction to the toy.
Taking the doll in her hands, the woman at the checkout hesitated before punching the purchase and asked:
– Honey, are you going to someone’s birthday?
Both mom and daughter looked at the seller with clear eyes full of surprise. The cashier clearly thought the doll was not meant for Sophia. Why? Because the doll was … black. For Russia, this phenomenon is unusual, but for countries where people with different skin colors live, it is quite. Sofia is a classic blonde, fair-skinned and light-eyed. So the cashier was surprised – usually children choose dolls that are similar to themselves. Or who the children want to be like. Hence the incredible popularity of Barbie and her clones.
“Are you sure you want this particular doll, dear?” – the cashier clarified.
– Yes! – the girl did not think for a second.
“But she’s not like you. We have other dolls with which you are much more similar, ”the woman salesman hinted softly.
Brandy opened her mouth to intervene, but Sofia got ahead of her.
– No, she’s just like me! I will become a doctor, and she is also a doctor. Look at the stethoscope she has! I am a pretty girl and she is a pretty girl. See how beautiful her hair is? – the girl clearly argued her opinion.
The cashier, when she heard this, decided not to continue the conversation and not focus Sofia’s attention on the color of the doll. “Oh, that’s great,” she replied, and pushed through the purchase. Later, the mother of the resourceful girl wrote about this on her page on the social network.
As they say, the next morning the mother and daughter woke up famous. The dialogue between Sofia and the cashier got almost half a million likes. Moreover, it went viral – 180 people reposted Brandy’s story.
“Sophia may be a baby, but she is smarter than many adults,” people wrote in the comments. And many began to share photos of their own children – also with dark-skinned dolls in their hands.
Do you need more proof that racial differences do not exist for children? It turns out that only we ourselves cultivate all intolerance and anger in them.