Regarding the doll's appearance, I remember being happy, feeling lucky, that it was easier to find dolls that resembled myself, and considered this in my young mind a kind of privilege. The girls I played with were fairly democratic, but I do remember one girl mentioning to the lone African-American girl, that she couldn't 'have' a particular doll to dress when we were playing, because it didn't look like her. I didn't protest, even though I felt it was unfair, remembering the anger I felt about being excluded from boy's games. In fact, my anxiety about being accepted into boy's societies also often encouraged...

However, in both male and female friendship groups I also reacted against such oppression, demanding that my African-American female friend and my other female friends be included -- depending on my perceived status in those friendship groups. Occasionally, both groups could be very nurturing, with the loving 'best friends' vows of girls and the fun of playing sports with boys. When I felt I had a choice, I recall being supportive of differences of others, but at times when my own status seemed uncertain, I was less forceful.