Free Press wire report

CLOVER, S.C.

Brandi Benner and her husband, Nick, took their 2-year-old, Sophia, to Target last week to let her buy a special gift for a major milestone — pooping on the potty for one month straight.

Little did they know that what began as an innocent trip to the store would allow Sophia to teach a valuable lesson in tolerance.

In a post with a photo that has since gone viral on Facebook, Mrs. Benner describes the unexpected turn when they got to the register.

Apparently, the woman ringing them up was a bit puzzled as to why a young white child would want the doll Sophia chose — a black doctor doll.

During checkout, “the cashier asked Sophia if she was going to a birthday party,” Mrs. Benner wrote. “We both gave her a blank stare. She then pointed to the doll and asked Sophia if she picked her out for a friend. Sophia continued to stare blankly and I let the cashier know that the doll was a prize for Sophia being fully potty trained. The woman gave me a puzzled look and turned to Sophia and asked, ‘Are you sure this is the doll you want, honey?’ Sophia finally found her voice and said, ‘Yes, please!’

“The cashier replied, ‘But she doesn’t look like you. We have lots of other dolls that look more like you.’ ”

Her daughter, in a moment of wisdom beyond her years, broke it down for the cashier, the mother wrote.

“Sophia responded with, ‘Yes, she does. She’s a doctor like I’m a doctor. And I’m a pretty girl and she’s a pretty girl. See her pretty hair? And see her stethoscope?’ ”

In response, the cashier simply said: “Oh, that’s nice.”

Mrs. Benner said the cashier backed off and let the girl enjoy her doll in peace.

“This experience just confirmed my belief that we aren’t born with the idea that color matters,” Mrs. Benner wrote. “Skin comes in different colors just like hair and eyes and every shade is beautiful.”