Black Women’s Herstories: Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark

As a storytelling project, we understand that we’re part of a tradition our ancestors have sustained for generations. Our Teacher Truth project carries forward a long legacy of leveraging data and storytelling to improve educational experiences for Black people.

While studying at Howard University in the 1930s, Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark--creator of the well-known “doll tests”--focused her research on the racial self-perception and identity of Black children in different types of school settings. She not only looked at integration or segregation of student and teacher populations, but also at the impact of having a Black teacher versus not having a Black teacher in the classroom. Her work affirmed the positive impact of Black educators, illuminated systemic inequities related to segregation, and played a role in the landmark passing of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.