Mom’s photo (and story) of toddler with black doll goes viral

An image of a white toddler clutching a black baby doll has gone viral, along with the story behind it.

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

An image of a white toddler clutching a black baby doll has gone viral, along with the story behind it.

Brandi Benner had told her two-year-old daughter that she could pick out a new toy as a reward for potty training, and when they went to Target to do so, the little girl picked out the doll in the picture.

“While we were checking out, the cashier asked Sophia if she was going to a birthday party. We both gave her a blank stare. She then pointed to the doll and asked Sophia if she picked her out for a friend. Sophia continued to stare blankly and I let the cashier know that she was a prize for Sophia being fully potty trained. The woman gave me a puzzled look and turned to Sophia and asked, ‘Are you sure this is the doll you want, honey?’ Sophia finally found her voice and said, ‘Yes, please!’” Banner wrote on Facebook.

But the cashier apparently tried to get little Sophia to pick a different doll. “She doesn’t look like you. We have lots of other dolls that look more like you,” the woman said.

But Sophia insisted on keeping her prize, saying, “Yes, she does. 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?”

Banner wrote that the experience left her both proud of her daughter and shocked by the Target employee.

“This experience just confirmed my belief that we aren’t born with the idea that color matters,” she said. “Skin comes in different colors just like hair and eyes and every shade is beautiful.”

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