Clark Doll Experiment

MARYBETH KOLB

Kenneth and Mamie Clark were African-American psychologists. In the 1940’s they conducted an experiment that revealed internalized racism in African-American children. African-American children from segregated and integrated schools were asked to pick between a white doll with yellow hair and a brown doll with black hair in response to multiple questions. A few of theses questions were:

•                “Which doll would you like to play with?”

•                “Which doll is the ‘nice’ doll?”

•                “Which doll looks ‘bad’?”

•                “Which doll is ‘prettier’?”

•                “Which doll looks like you?”

There was a clear preference for the white doll among the African-American children. The study showed that the white doll was associated with being “nice” and “pretty”, while the brown doll was associated with the traits “bad” and “ugly”. More shockingly, nearly half of the children chose the white doll as the one that looked most like them. The responses in the experiment showed the negative feelings the children had about their very own race, especially the children from the segregated school. This argument was used to contribute in Brown vs. Board of education, which ruled that segregation in public education as unconstitutional.

The same study was performed in 2006, and had very similar results. Even with all of the progress that has been made in the fight for equality, there is racism and self-hatred in the hearts of young children.