Mamie Phipps Clark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mamie Phipps Clark
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| Born | April 18, 1917 Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S.
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| Died | August 11, 1983 (aged 66) New York, New York, U.S.
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| Resting place | Mount Hope Cemetery Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S. |
| Education | B.A. in Psychology, Howard University
M.A. in Psychology, Howard University Ph.D. in Psychology, Columbia University |
| Occupation | Social psychologist |
| Known for | Psychology Research supporting 1954 U.S Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas |
| Spouse(s) | Kenneth Clark |
| Children | Kate Harris and Hilton Clark |
Mamie Phipps Clark (April 18, 1917–August 11, 1983) was an African-American social psychologist. She worked with her husband, Kenneth Clark. They studied how black preschool children developed a sense of who they were.
Clark was born and grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She went to Howard University for her college education. There, she earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees.
For her master's project, Clark worked with black preschool children in Arkansas. This work included special "doll experiments." These experiments looked at how segregation affected black children's feelings about race. They also studied how children identified with their own race. The study found that children in segregated schools often preferred playing with white dolls.
This research was very important for the Brown v. Board of Education court case in 1954. It showed the harmful effects of racial segregation on children. Clark's own experiences with segregation made her want to fight for civil rights. She also wanted to help young people in her community.
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Mamie Clark's Early Life and Education
Mamie Phipps Clark was born on April 18, 1917. She grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She went to schools that were separated by race. Her father was a doctor, and her mother was a homemaker.
Clark felt her early schooling was not the best. But she later said that growing up with segregation and a supportive family helped her career. She graduated from Langston High School. This was a big achievement for a black student at that time.
She received scholarships to two top black universities. She chose to attend Howard University in 1934. Even though it was during the Great Depression, her father sent her money. She studied math and physics. This was unusual for black women back then.
At Howard, Mamie met Kenneth Bancroft Clark. He was studying psychology. Kenneth encouraged her to study psychology too. She had always wanted to work with children. Psychology seemed like a good way to do that. Mamie and Kenneth got married in 1937.
In 1938, Mamie Phipps Clark graduated with high honors. She immediately started graduate school at Howard. For her master's thesis, she studied when black children realized their own racial identity. She found that children became aware of their race at a young age. This research became the basis for her famous doll studies.
Clark earned her Ph.D. in psychology in 1943 from Columbia University. She was the first black woman to get this degree there. After college, she faced challenges finding a job. She felt this was because she was a black woman in a field mostly run by white men.
In 1945, she got a job helping homeless black girls. She did psychological tests and gave counseling. This experience showed her how many children needed help. It made her want to open her own center.
The Famous Doll Study
Mamie Phipps Clark's doll study continued the work from her master's thesis. It was inspired by other research on how children identify themselves. Her work sparked her husband's interest. Together, they expanded the research on racial preferences in black children.
This experiment was very important in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education court case. It helped prove that segregation harmed children psychologically. Mamie and Kenneth Clark had done the experiment 14 years earlier. Their findings were the first social science research used as evidence in the Supreme Court.
The study used four dolls that were exactly alike, except for their skin color. Children aged 3 to 7 were asked questions about the dolls. They were asked to identify the dolls and say which one they liked best.
The results showed that children often preferred the white doll. They also gave positive qualities to the white dolls. The Clarks concluded that "prejudice, discrimination and segregation" made black children feel bad about themselves. They felt a sense of inferiority and self-hatred.
Clark explained that if society says it is better to be white, everyone starts to believe it. This includes black children. A child might try to escape feeling inferior by denying their own race.
As part of the study, Clark also gave children outlines of a boy and a girl. She asked them to color the outlines to match themselves. Many black children colored themselves white or yellow.
The doll tests showed that segregation in schools hurt children. It affected their self-esteem and how they saw themselves.
The Northside Center for Child Development
In February 1946, Mamie Phipps Clark started the Northside Center for Child Development. It was in the basement of her family's apartment building. Her father loaned her money to start it.
At first, it was called the Northside Testing and Consultation Center. In 1948, it became the Northside Center for Child Development. This was the first center to offer therapy for children in Harlem. It also helped families with housing needs.
At the time, many therapists used a method called psychoanalysis. But the Clarks felt this method didn't work well for the children they served. They wanted to offer a more complete approach to help their clients.
The center grew to offer many services. These included help for behavior problems and career guidance for teens. They also taught black parents about raising children. Clark was the director of Northside until she retired in 1979.
Community Work and Legacy
Mamie Clark worked with her husband on many projects. One was the Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited project (HARYOU). This project aimed to create education and job chances for young people in Harlem. It started in 1962. HARYOU offered extra help for students falling behind. It also found jobs for black youth.
Mamie Phipps and Kenneth Clark were married for 45 years. They had two children, Kate Harris and Hilton Clark. Mamie Clark said their work together was "a lifetime of close, challenging and professionally satisfying experiences."
Clark was very active in her community. She was on the board of many important organizations. These included the American Broadcasting Company, the Museum of Modern Art, and the New York Public Library. She also served on the National Headstart Planning Committee.
Clark's research on how racial discrimination affects people was very important. It helped the fields of developmental psychology and the psychology of race. She also worked as a research psychologist for the U.S. Armed Forces Institute. Her work helped us understand identity and self-esteem in black people.
Mamie Clark is not as famous as her husband. But her contributions to research are very significant. She faced challenges in her career because she was a black woman. Yet, she continued her important work. She was praised for her professional success and her happy home life. In 1983, she received a Candace Award for her humanitarian work.
Mamie Clark died from cancer on August 11, 1983, at age 66.
Images for kids
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Mamie Phipps Clark in 1958.
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