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'Are you sure you want this doll?': Girl quizzed by cashier over black doll

When Brandi Benner and her husband went to Target to buy their young daughter Sophia a special gift for a major milestone — using the potty for one month straight, they didn't realise it would start a worldwide conversation about society.

Ms Benner posted the details of their Target trip to Facebook, detailing how an otherwise uneventful excursion to buy her daughter a doll took an unexpected turn once her family got to the register.

Apparently the woman at the checkout was puzzled as to why a young white child would want the doll Sophia chose — a black doctor doll.

The post has since gone viral on Facebook, amassing more than 200,000 shares and over 540,000 reactions.

Sophia proudly showing off the doll she chose. Photo: Facebook / Brandi Benner
Sophia proudly showing off the doll she chose. Photo: Facebook / Brandi Benner

“The woman gave me a puzzled look and turned to Sophia and asked, ‘Are you sure this is the doll you want, honey?'” Ms Benner wrote.

“Sophia finally found her voice and said, “Yes, please!”

The cashier replied, “But she doesn’t look like you. We have lots of other dolls that look more like you.'”

Ms Benner wrote that the cashier’s comments upset her at first, but her daughter, in a moment of wisdom beyond her years, was quick to break it down for the woman.

“Sophia responded with, ‘Yes, she does. She’s a doctor like I’m a doctor. And I’m a pretty girl and she’s a pretty girl. See her pretty hair? And see her stethoscope?'”

After Sophia dropped that nugget of knowledge, Ms Benner shared that the cashier backed off and let the girl enjoy her doll in peace.

Ms Benner said she was proud of Sophia. Photo: Facebook / Brandi Benner
Ms Benner said she was proud of Sophia. Photo: Facebook / Brandi Benner

People were clearly moved by the story, with many parents sharing their own stories similar to Sophia's — their children don’t care about the colour of their dolls, just how awesome their dolls make them feel.

“I had similar response when my daughter always wants brown skin tone Cabbage Patch babies,” one Facebook user commented.

“She usually carried two under each arm everywhere we went. An old man looked at me and said she must be confused; I told him she wasn’t confused at all.”

“Exactly how I was with my daughter with any other dolls,” another user wrote.

“She had Asian dolls, white ones, Latina dolls … I loved that she picked those dolls out.”

Ms Benner later wrote another post thanking everyone for the outpouring of support and love on her post.

“When I decided to share my experience about buying Sophia’s doll, I never thought for one second it was going to be seen by so many people!” she wrote. “I am absolutely blown away.”

Ms Benner thanked everyone for their support on her original post. Photo: Facebook / Brandi Benner
Ms Benner thanked everyone for their support on her original post. Photo: Facebook / Brandi Benner