It is important for black kids to have access to black dolls so that they take pride in their racial origins. When most of the dolls sold are white, it sends the wrong message to the black kids that maybe white race is superior to theirs. There should also be black dolls because doing so will be a celebration of the cultural diversity of the U.S.
If there are more black dolls, parents from other races may also buy them in order to teach their children diversity celebration in the U.S. These children from non-black races will then have greater appreciation for other races and will be more likely to develop friendships with black classmates in schools. We should also note that children are observers and they may get messages adults may never be aware of. In fact, even the court recognized in Brown v. Board of Education that things like segregation may lead to inferiority complex among children of minorities. We may not be talking about segregation here but the lack of black dolls may send quite similar messages to black children.
Actions speak louder than words. When African American parents may teach their children about racial equality, lack of cultural items such as black dolls may hurt the credibility of African American parents in their children’s eyes. But if there are more cultural goods like black dolls, it will do more to convince the children of racial equality in American than messages from parents or even teachers.
Black dolls should not only be accessible to black kids but widely available everywhere because it will positively shape the growth of American kids no matter which racial or ethnic background they may come from.