Sometimes all you have to do is ask.  Last year around this time Pottery Barn Kids released their holiday catalog and there was something many of us with kids of color noticed about the stockings.  All of the faces were white.  I know I wanted to buy my daughter a stocking but there were no girls that looked even remotely like her.  In a world where most of the images of beauty reflected back are those of white skin and often blond hair, I don’t want my daughter to think that she is not normal or acceptable.  I want her to have a positive image of her skin.  I also want this for Noah, even though he seems less aware or at least pays less attention to it than Zoë does.

Last year, many of us descended upon the Pottery Barn Kids Facebook page and demanded dark skin stocking for our children of color.  Yes, many of us are white, middle-class, parents of adopted children.  But I don’t think that matters.  What mattered was that we wanted our children to see themselves reflected back in a product.  I notice so often what kinds of images and messages are sent to kids and also notice that there are few non-white images for my children to identify with and draw from.

I have to say I was really happy today to look at the stockings and see these:

I will admit these aren’t perfect. The hair is a little straight for my liking–I’d like to see some curls in the elf’s hair and the angel’s hair.  But this is a huge step forward.  The color is not exactly right and is still a little light, but it is dark and it is progress.  I’ can’t wait to buy mine for the kids.  They will love them.