When Brandi Benner and her two-year-old daughter Sophia went to the store a few years ago, the young girl had one thing on her mind — buy a new doll. It was promised to her as a reward for successfully completing potty training.
She was allowed to choose any doll that she liked.
However, according to the cashier at the store, that also meant selecting one of the same race.
Sophia and her family are white. However, the doll that she chose that day was black.
Neither she nor her mom ever expected that the cashier would have something to say about it when they brought the doll up to the counter to checkout. However, that’s exactly what happened. Brenner posted the shocking story of what took place on Facebook and it has since been shared almost 250 thousand times.
It all started with a moment of confusion.
“While we were checking out, the cashier asked Sophia if she was going to a birthday party. We both gave her a blank stare,” said Benner. “She then pointed to the doll and asked Sophia if she picked her out for a friend.”
It turns out, the cashier was confused about the doll because of its skin color.
“The woman gave me a puzzled look and turned to Sophia and asked, ‘Are you sure this is the doll you want, honey?'”
Sophia explained that yes, it was the doll she wanted.
That’s when they realized what was actually happening.
“The cashier replied, ‘But she doesn’t look like you. We have lots of other dolls that look more like you.'”
The cashier’s comment instantly caused the mom to get a little bit angry.
However, before she could say anything back, Sophia spoke up to explain herself. The two-year-old had an absolutely incredible response to the cashier. In her eyes, the doll actually did look like her.
“She’s a doctor like I’m a doctor. And I’m a pretty girl and she’s a pretty girl. See her pretty hair? And see her stethoscope?” responded Sophia.
When Sophia picked up the black doll, she didn’t once notice the color.
All she saw was a pretty female doctor, which is what she herself aspired to be when she grew up. Brenner explained that Sophia gives a “checkup” to pretty much anyone that enters their home.
Luckily, the cashier didn’t push the issue and simply responded “oh, that’s nice”.
However, Brenner still couldn’t believe that it had happened.
“This experience just confirmed my belief that we aren’t born with the idea that color matters. Skin comes in different colors just like hair and eyes and every shade is beautiful,” said Brenner.
Sophia had no idea why the cashier was asking her about the doll’s skin color.
It didn’t make any sense to her and thankfully, it didn’t cause her to question her decision about the doll she chose either. Although, if incidents like this happen with enough frequency, there is no doubt that it leaves imprints on kids’ minds over time.
These sorts of comments have the potential to do real damage.
“As I explained before, the cashier was an elderly woman and I believe she was completely ignorant to what she was truly saying. I feel like in her mind she was being helpful and making conversation with my daughter,” Brenner said in a followup post.
Brenner never expected that her trip to the store to buy a baby doll for her daughter would end up turning into a viral story. However, the unexpected comment from the cashier and the girl’s response now serves as a great life lesson for all of us.
Check out the full news video covering the story below.
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