Colorado school bans third-grader's Barbie racism experiment

By The Associated Press

02.20.01

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BOULDER, Colo. — School officials are reviewing a decision to ban a third-grader's science fair project that suggested students preferred a white Barbie doll over a black Barbie.

The Mesa Elementary School student's father, David Thielen, said his 8-year-old daughter was told the school's science fair was not the best forum for considering racial issues.

Now the school board has asked Superintendent George Garcia to look at the school's reaction to the girl's project and examine overall science fair policy.

Thielen's daughter, whose name he did not want released, dressed up a white Barbie and black Barbie in two different colored dresses. She asked 15 adults at her father's workplace which doll was prettier.

She then switched the dresses and asked 15 more adults. The doll wearing the lavender dress — regardless of the doll's skin color — was deemed prettiest by both groups.

When she asked fifth-graders at Mesa Elementary, all 15 in one class picked the white doll. In the second class, after the dresses were switched, nine of the 15 students picked the white doll.

Her conclusion: "I discovered that most grown-ups liked the lavender dress on the black or white Barbie. On the other hand, kids mostly liked the white Barbie. Only six kids liked the black Barbie."

Within an hour of setting up her display earlier this month, it was taken down. Several teachers and parents thought it would upset the school's minority students.

Thielen said school administrators violated his daughter's First Amendment rights, and he wants them to apologize. "I would think the district would want to use the exhibit to discuss race rather than refuse to even talk about it," Thielen said.

The school's enrollment is about 93% white, 3% Asian, 3% Latino and 1% black, according to the district.

"Issues around race are sometimes more difficult to discuss," school board president Stan Garnett said. "But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be talked about."

Update

Colorado school district revises anti-discrimination policy
Boulder officials change code to clarify student-speech protections following controversy over third-grader's racism experiment.  01.29.02