Dare to make a difference!

“We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers. ” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

I'm completely astounded by the many friends, family, and people I don't know who care about a $1 difference. That post is quickly becoming my most read post on this blog.

When I first posted it, I never intended to be an activist. All I wanted was an answer from Target on why there was a $1 difference in price between the dolls.

However, I'm realizing more and more that I am an activist and that is ok. I think sometimes we associate activism with a negative connotation. However, not all activism is bad. Someone has to speak up in order for change to happen. If I am that person, then so be it. I will gladly do it for my daughter, my three sisters, and my niece, who are all African American.

I know many think that I am wasting my time and barking up the wrong tree. Corporate America doesn't care about $1 and my little ole' blog post isn't going to change how Target operates. I agree. However, it doesn't change the fact that they should care. And you know what? Social media is mighty powerful nowadays and maybe, just maybe they will care if enough people see this and vow to make a change.

I will also say this, as a white person, raised in a very white world, it is easy for us to go around believing that $1 doesn't matter and that I am making a bigger deal out of this than it is. However, until you see the world just slightly through the eyes of your black daughter, you won't ever realize how much truly needs to change. This is just one thing among many.

Right now I have been in conversation with Target twice. The first time I got nowhere with them as I did not have the exact item numbers of the dolls. However, after having my husband go back and get them, I called and it took them all of five minutes to direct me to corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, MN. After talking to them, I was told it could either be that they are going out of stock or it is a pricing error on their part for my particular Target. I was told that they will have a team look into it and get back to me as soon as possible. I was set to believe that until I started hearing from friends who had read my blog post and checked their local Target. Sure enough, more and more friends are notifying me that the dollar difference is also at their Target. Not only that, I have since found out that some Targets carry a Hispanic doll and that doll too is priced at $10.99. At this point, I am having a hard time believing it is a simple error on Target's part.

Thank you to Sarah from California for providing me with this picture of the Hispanic doll!

It is definitely disappointing to me. Right now, I am asking all of you to visit your local Target, check for these dolls and then report back to me with the city of your Target either here on this blog post in the comments, on my facebook page, or by email at: jewelsntreasures (at) yahoo (dot) com, if your Target has these dolls marked differently in price. I am compiling a list so that when I next talk to Target I have an exact list that I can forward on to them.

So would you please join me in making a difference?? Share this on your Facebook, your Twitter, your Google + accounts, with friends, family, and any others. I truly believe $1 does matter and I firmly believe that on this Martin Luther King, Jr. day, with your help we can make a difference!!

For her sake, for their sake, for all of our sakes, let's dare to have $1 make a difference!!

*To read a follow up on this post and to find out what action Target has taken, click here.

Does $1 really make a difference?

Last night I decided on a whim to take my oldest two on a trip to Target. I had a few things to return and also needed to pick a few things up. For Christmas each of the girls got a gift card to Target and while Zoelle had already used hers, Meridian had not, so we ended up in the toy aisles at Target.

I was letting the girls look to their hearts content while reminiscing about my own childhood, when I noticed a certain doll. Nothing was telling about this baby doll. Really it was just a doll with a pacifier and blanket. Marked for $10.99. I told Meridian that if she wanted she could buy it and I would pay the difference (the gift card was for $10).

And then my eyes noticed something sitting right next to this doll.

The same exact doll, except she was Caucasian and when my eyes wandered to the price I was astounded to see it listed at $11.99.

$1 more than the same doll that was African American.

My heart sank. As a mama to an African American daughter, I did not like the message that was being sent out to her, my other daughters, or anyone else.

I sent out a Tweet to Target when I got home that said:

This morning I woke up to a tweet from them asking me to contact them along with their contact info. When I saw that they wanted me to contact them I questioned whether or not $1 was worth it?

I mean, it's only a dollar. Not a big deal, right?

But then I thought what if $1 is a big deal to her?? What if it is a big deal to them?? Those who have been told their whole life that they aren't as important, aren't as needed, aren't as valuable compared to the white people.

And because I vowed to never stay silent and to always fight for my daughter, I called them.

*To read a follow up on this post and how you can make a difference, click HERE.*