Oh, FreedomSample

When I was a little girl, I loved playing with dolls. My dolls did not share my skin tone or hair texture. Recognizing this, my dad encouraged my mom to give me dolls with hair that felt like, and skin tone that mirrored, mine. When I grew older, I learned about “The Doll Test.” Psychologists had used brown-skinned dolls and white-skinned dolls to determine the effect racial segregation had on children. The dark-skinned children gravitated to the white doll, though the brown-skinned dolls were otherwise identical. Psychologists concluded, racial segregation caused Black children to feel inferior, even though they were not. By dismantling black-white segregation in schools, the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board Supreme Court decision continues to influence against racism in America and beyond. 

The Bible makes it clear that no “race” is inferior, despite lies and systems that promote such. God tells us He made all nations from one human (Acts 17:26), and all nations—as one people—will praise the Father at Christ’s return (Revelation 7:9–10).

The old childhood song “Jesus Loves the Little Children,” conveys those biblical truths. All children are precious in His sight, as He created humankind in His divine image. Through Him we are freed of negative perceptions perpetuated by systems that separate rather than unite. His truth affirms He is the maker of us all” (Isaiah 64:8).

While uplifting our uniqueness, let’s dismantle divisive, hurtful lies. -Jacqueline J. Holness