What the Children Told Us: The Untold Story of the Famous “Doll Test” and the Black Psychologists Who Changed the World

by Tim Spofford

Does racial discrimination harm Black children's sense of self?

The Doll Test illuminated its devastating toll.

Dr. Kenneth Clark visited rundown and under-resourced segregated schools across America, presenting Black children with two dolls: a white one with hair painted yellow and a brown one with hair painted black. "Give me the doll you like to play with," he said. "Give me the doll that is a nice doll." The psychological experiment Kenneth developed with his wife, Mamie, designed to measure how segregation affected Black children's perception of themselves and other Black people, was enlightening―and horrifying. Over and over again, the young children―some not yet five years old―selected the white doll as preferable, and the brown doll as "bad." Some children even denied their race. "Yes," said brown-skinned Joan W., age six, when questioned about her affection for the light-skinned doll. "I would like to be white."

What the Children Told Us is the story of the towering intellectual and emotional partnership between two Black scholars who highlighted the psychological effects of racial segregation. The Clarks' story is one of courage, love, and an unfailing belief that Black children deserved better than what society was prepared to give them, and their unrelenting activism played a critical role in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. The Clarks' decades of impassioned advocacy, their inspiring marriage, and their enduring work shines a light on the power of passion in an unjust world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, History, Psychology, Sociology, Biography, Race

350 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 9, 2022

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did. I learned a lot, yes, but the title of the book was a little misleading. I thought it was going to be a deep dive about the famous Black doll test and the scientists behind the research. In a way, it was that, but it was more than that. It was a sweeping review of racism and internalized racism focused largely on the Civil Rights era. It did go into a little of the origin history of the role Black dolls played during slavery (which was not what I thought it was going to be and horrified me further than I want to admit). It also touched on the root causes of the results of the Black doll test (the whys of the results), but it focused on segregated education specifically, I don't know that I agree that that's where the problem originated.

For me, the book was a bit unfocused and tried to be too much. I would've liked it more if it stayed on topic. I think it's still a good book to read, but it would've benefited from a more disciplined editor.

[Kivalina Mauck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kenneth and Mamies. Story is what a lot of it’s about and the study that was done on the Clark’s Doll Test.. I really enjoyed it and I think you would as well. THANKYOU NetGalley for the Early Review chance.

[abookwormdiary · Rating 3 out of 5]

i learned a lot but this was kinda hard to get through. im glad i read it

[Jennifer Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing, emotional, and important look at the psychologists who conducted the famous "doll test" during the battle to integrate schools.

I knew the basics of the doll test, but very little about the married team that created and conducted the tests. Their story is fascinating and revealing.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kim McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
Black psychologist super couple Kennith and Mamie Clark knew the dangers of segregation and racial inequality in the 1940's and later. They saw what it was doing to their neighbors in Harlem and elsewhere in the country but after their famous "doll study" they knew that it was affecting the youngest of the population. The study took a wide group of young black children and had them choose which doll they wanted to play with and which doll looked the most like themselves. Their results were shocking in that most of the children chose the white doll over the black doll and wanted to see themselves as looking like the white doll. Their honest answers showed that they felt that being black was considered bad. This was overwhelming proof that very aware of racial prejudice at a very young age. The Clarks spent their whole career helping to fight segregation and improve education and self worth in the next generation. While half the book is treated as a biography the couple's struggle and both professional and as a family their commitment and findings are enlightening. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Heather Zehnder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad my local library had an advanced reader's copy of this book.

I had heard of the Clarks before reading this book, but I had no idea of the lengths they went to work for racial equality. It's important to remember their work and know there is still work to be done.

[Sharron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Tim Spofford, the author for writing this book. The story of two magnificent & unrelentless pioneers , Dr. Kenneth & Mamie Phipps Clark for developing the “Doll Test” for psychological study of black children.
All I can say is I loved the book. It opened my eyes to what the effects of segregation had on the children & I cried throughout the books with a heavy heart of the trials & tribulations that daily burdened the black families & their children. I just never knew. I truly lived a sheltered life as a white child. Sadly, the fight still continues today.
Read the book.

[Sheri S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ - Prejudice, discrimination and integration are topics addressed in this book, but ultimately it is a book about the Clarks and their work. They conducted the doll experiments to understand childrens' preferences regarding skin color. The book takes an extensive look at how the Clarks sought to provide aid to Black children and ensure better education for them. Both Ken and Mamie Clark were influential people who had contact with many of the civil rights leaders of their time.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew about the famous "doll test" and its importance in the Brown v. Board of Ed. decision, but that was apprently just one contribution among many that Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark made in their relentless, lifelong work in the fight for racial justice and equality. Spofford's deeply researched book is part biography, part history, and part psychological study offering an in-depth look at the lives and works of these two extraordinary individuals.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is mistitled and mismarketed. The doll test may be the foundation of the story but it’s about so much more. It’s really a bio of Mamie and Kenneth Clark. I found it so enlightening. I had never heard of either of them so I really enjoyed reading their story.

[Lisa Mcbroom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A groundbreaking study that began Brown vs Brown, two psychologists The Clarks conduct studies on children on racial identity.

[Aiden · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 well researched and informative

[forky wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

would have been more interested had the focused been on the actual psychological test and it's wider implications.

[Katie Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book but the author( a man) focuses so much on Kenneth’s accomplishments and regards Mamie as foot note.

[Hilmg]

The author makes clear how hardworking & balanced this highly educated team were through their whole lives. From what I understand, Drs Kenneth & Mamie Clark were dedicated to integration & health to improve outcomes for Black children. I finished this book with a lot of wonderings about the results of their efforts. They apparently were relentlessly fundraising from foundations & relying on volunteer hours. Ralph Ellison compared at least one of them to the coin catching character in Moby Dick, accusing them of a kind of trauma porn for dollars. The author reminds us often that the couple was antiunion in healthcare & education, saying unions didn’t have parents’ best interests in mind. I wanted more context around that & if their opinions on forced bussing changed over time. They certainly were impactful with Northside in Harlem, and thought capitalism was a way towards integration, citing the military & sportsworld as inspirations. They were also welcomed & inspired in Scandinavia, which often they saw as a model of a more orderly society, which felt a little weird as presented. The two doctors were not always in lockstep but the author shows how they supported each other. I wonder if an iteration of Data Black Public Opinion Polls exists today, what happened with Dr Mamie Clark’s “integrationist dream” $26M housing & office complex in Harlem, of those displaced tenement residents, of current successes & needs of Headstart. Regardless, honest folks including the author recognize that things are still not equal and they are definitely not equitable.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are the kind of books we need written for the next generation to read. As a Licensed Clinical Therapist, I'd obviously heard of the doll studies and the implications and such, but the story about the Clarks was something else entirely.

Telling the story of 2 people who changed history - making them central, and bringing the "how" and "why" and "what" behind any event is always inspiring.

I love books that include the people and the fight behind the milestone changes we're taught in school. Providing that context serves as a reminder that political changes don't "just happen" and "regular people" can change the world.

That context also reminds us that "regular people" must *continue* to "be the change" across space and time. Because the more things change, the more they don't.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning about the Clark’s and their many significant contributions to their communities and the country as a whole. I connected more with Mamie during the narrative, as a woman who was the intellectual equal of her husband, but was also so instrumental in creating practical results for Harlem. This book was written by a journalist, and read like a newspaper or magazine article, which wasn’t bad, but wasn’t what I was hoping for. I was also hoping for more exploration of papers and conferences, which sometimes felt breezed over.

[Tc · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first audio book experience, borrowed from the library, so it took me a while to understand the settings. But as for the book, it was a fascinating story. Insight to segregation laws, how children innocently perceive themselves, and the social justice movement of the twentieth century in America.