In the 1940s, psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark explored how young Black children perceived their racial identities using dolls. Their research revealed that when given the option, most Black children favored playing with white dolls over Black ones. Recreating the groundbreaking 'doll test' from the 1940s, educator Toni Sturdivant, shed light on how Black kids today perceive race. Similar to the 1940's study, Toni's study unveiled concerning biases. In an integrated preschool, Black girls showed a preference for dolls of other ethnicities, treating Black dolls with neglect and disdain. This echoes the deep-rooted issue of internalized racism persisting today. It's a reminder that societal influence seeps into our children's self-perception. Learn more about this study and how we can foster environments that celebrate Blackness and affirm the worth of Black children on the latest Early Risers podcast episode here: https://www.mpr.org/episodes/2024/03/...
This week on Unpacking Ethical, we unpack parenting with educator and author of “Positive Racial Identity at Home” Dr. Toni Sturdivant. In this episode: • Toni discusses parenting in a much more intentional way than what’s normalized. • We talk about common values that we can all pull from while parenting. • We explore the importance of healing our relationships with young children.
Dr. Sturdivant details how to translate her research on racial identity developing into affirming practices in the classroom.
It was an experiment that changed the course of U.S. history-- baby dolls helped to desegregate schools and alter the way race in this country is viewed. Now, more than 60 years later, would the results be any different? “I don’t really know what about it stuck with me, but I remember wondering if things were different, what would happen,” says Dr. Toni Sturdivant, Texas A&M assistant professor. She first heard about Dr. Kenneth and Mamie Clark’s doll experiments as an undergrad and has been thinking about it ever since. The study questioned over 200 Black children, ages three to seven, about Black and white baby dolls. What they found was startling. “They’d say things like, ‘Give me the doll that you’d like to play with’ or ‘give me the doll that looks bad,'” says Sturdivant. “Two-thirds of the children selected the white dolls for positive attributes and the black dolls for negative attributes.”
In this Africa in Science (AiS) Mini-Lecture, Dr Sturdivant argues “how young Black children view their racial identities matters, and this is applicable to children of the African diaspora as a whole, as well Africans residing in the continent, as we are all exposed to messages of anti-blackness, due to the colonization, imperialism and the globalization of Western media that promotes Eurocentric beauty standards and anti-Blackness.”
In this video presentation Dr. Toni Sturdivant, a leading expert in early childhood education, discusses the importance of affirming racial identity in early learning spaces. This special event, hosted by Early Risers, was recorded live at Minnesota Public Radio Headquarters on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. Dr. Sturdivant, Director of Early Learning and Head Start for the Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City, MO, shares her extensive experience as a parent, coach, professor, and author focused on young children’s racial identity. Throughout her career, Dr. Sturdivant has curated a library of books and teaching ideas designed to help young children develop a positive racial identity.
Understand the importance of affirming marginalized racial identities
Learn why it is crucial to start affirming race in infancy
Engage in practical, racially affirming activities for young children
Watch now to gain valuable insights and strategies for creating inclusive, affirming early learning environments that celebrate and support every child's racial identity.
