When you first open the video, you see two adorable red haired twins excited to see what Aunt Cynthia got them for Christmas. Two dark-skinned black dolls.

They look inside. Mother asks, “Do you like it?” One twin is obviously the diplomatic one and says yes, but her shifty eye movements and facial expressions betray her. The other twin is less subtle. She devolves in tears and throws the black baby doll back into the bag.

It’s truly tears my heart to pieces that the devaluing of dark skin starts so early. Particularly when it comes to the girls.

White girls like these twins are pedestalized from birth to believe that hold the ultimate standard of beauty, while they observe the lack of regard of black girls of a darker hue. And obviously, they want absolutely no part of it.

Perhaps what is more heartbreaking is the parents laughing about it in the background, like giving these twins two black dolls was as gag gift. Instead of using it as an opportunity to talk to their girls about colorism and racism at a level they could understand, or point out the pretty features and coloring of the doll, they laughed. The people responsible for shaping these girls outlook on life laughed when they rejected black skin.

Sigh.

And so it goes.

More on this, and my personal experiences growing up and what I’m doing as a biracial mom on BBW Kids. Click here.