It was a simple test. You give a child two dolls, one white, one dark-colored, and ask the child which one he or she likes best. Which one do they want to play with? Which one is the “nice” doll?

This month, Kmart began selling up to four dozen new ethnic dolls in its stores. Coincidentally, this is the year that Brown v. Board of Education was effectively overturned by the Supreme Court. A ...