'Why Do You Have Black Dolls?' Explores Beauty And Cultural Identity

"Why Do You Have Black Dolls?" is the title and question being tackled in a new short documentary film by director Samantha Knowles.

The film's title and premise stems from an experience Knowles had as a child when an inquisitive 8-year-old playmate asked the very same question.

“Her question stuck with me for a long time. I can’t remember how I responded in that moment, but I saw this film as an opportunity to explore that question," Knowles told Dartmouth Now.

The synopsis states that the film, which recently debuted at 15th annual Reel Sisters Film Festival, "explores the history, the beauty, and the pride that is the black doll. Through its characters, a little-known community of black doll enthusiasts, it reveals that the black doll is more than a plaything; it is a cultural artifact that represents the history of the people it depicts."

Skin tone, adoption and black children: Is colorism an issue?

African-American children make up 30 percent of the 500,000 children currently in the American foster care system, despite being only 14 percent of the U.S. population. On top of being over-represented, these youths are less frequently selected for adoption compared to other kids.

Could the skin tone of black children play a role in whether they are chosen — especially if the family considering them is black? Mardie Caldwell, founder and CEO of the Lifetime Adoption agency, says this is true — and that this bias is exclusive to African-Americans.

“We’ve found that many African-American families have definite preferences for the type of children they want, whether it’s newborns [or older children], and also in terms of their physical appearance,” Caldwell told theGrio. Continue reading at: http://thegrio.com/2012/03/08/gloria-king-of-executive/

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