Brown v. Board of Education: Landmark case in the 1950s that led to the desegregation of schools.
Dr. Kenneth Clark's Doll Test: Originally conducted with black children; they were asked to choose between a black doll and a white doll, with most preferring the white doll.
Current Experiment
Objective: To determine progress since the original doll test regarding racial perceptions among children.
Methodology
Procedure: Children were asked to choose between a black doll and a white doll, and identify which they prefer or associate with positive traits.
Example questions included:
"Can you show me the doll that you like best or that you'd like to play with?"
"Can you show me the doll that is the nice doll and why?"
"Can you show me the doll that looks bad and why?"
"Can you give me the doll that looks like you?"
Results
Preference: 15 out of 21 children preferred the white doll.
Perceptions:
The white doll was often identified as the "nice doll" because it is white.
The black doll was associated with negative traits because it is black.
Implications
The results suggest that, despite progress since the original study, there is still a significant preference for white dolls among children, indicating persistent issues related to racial perceptions.