ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how children’s images are reflected in toys and dolls. It reviews the impact of this symbolic representation and the overt and hidden messages which can be communicated through imagery. The chapter considers the legal requirement to promote equality of opportunity in society and the workplace and makes specific links of the importance of this legislation for early year’s educators. It provides a historical context for how some Black communities came to make the UK their home and the way the growing population of Black and minority ethnic children in education settings has heightened the need for a strategic, structural response to support inclusion of all cultures. The chapter describes the impact of race and identity construction and what this can mean for children from minority ethnic groups and the implications for early years practitioners. It assesses the impact of misrepresentation on identity, how omission subliminally communicates who belongs within a community, and the importance of accurate representation.
