White Skin Privilege

The crowds in the store stare at the towering white lady wearing a big brimmed hat, and as I move down the packed aisles, they make way with palpable deference. Mothers shove their children aside, saying something sharp sounding; the children look up and seem amazed at the sight. Brave schoolgirls (maybe ten years old) rush over to shake my hand, always saying the same thing: “Hello what is your name which place are you from?” without taking a breath. “USA”, I say, never mind about the name, they laugh and run away.
All the people are very dark and all the images in ads, on billboards, in the shops, and certainly on tv are very white, even being fair haired. In the toy store (air conditioning break on my walk) all the dolls are white and I ask the young saleswoman if they have any with dark skin. Her English is ok but she is mystified by the question, can’t believe she understands, so gets the manager (a bit lighter-skinned than average) and I ask again: “Any dolls with dark skin? You know, dolls that look like people, not mythical creatures (what else is Barbie, after all?)?” He wags his head, purses his lips thinking, finds some little rubber novelty figures with dark skin, and explains “No, this is all. People prefer white.” I reply “Well, maybe the grown-ups do, but the children…it would be good for them to have dolls that look like them, don’t you think?” (As if he could disagree with me. Ha!) “Oh well madam, oh well, so sorry, this is all we have.” “Tell the buyer he should try to find some dark skinned dolls.” “Sure sure good idea.” Ha!