Black South Carolina Woman Accuses Store of Intentionally Placing Black Baby Doll Next to Watermelon Toy: ‘That Is Actually So Messed Up’

A black woman in South Carolina has accused a store of intentionally placing a black baby doll next to a watermelon toy.

The woman, identified as Erica, shared a video filmed inside the store, showing the baby dolls and watermelon toys displayed next to each other. She wrote over the footage, “The placement was definitely intentional.” At the beginning of the video, Erica held up one of the black baby dolls and said, “Y’all cannot tell me that this was not intentional.”

Erica then claimed that there were no dolls of other races anywhere in the store. “It’s just the black baby doll next to the watermelon,” she said. She continued explaining why she believed the display was racist. Erica, who appeared to be accompanied by her family, also claimed that a store employee had been watching them since they entered. She appeared to suggest that the employee suspected them of shoplifting, which she interpreted as another example of racial stereotyping against black people.

“I should’ve known then that it was something off,” Erica said. She claimed that the employee refused to sit down while she and her family were inside the store. According to Erica, the employee had initially appeared relaxed but stood up after noticing them. She also wrote in the video’s caption, “safe to say we ain’t buy darn thing.” The footage quickly drew criticism online.

The association between black people and watermelons has a long history rooted in racism. Following the abolition of slavery, some formerly enslaved black Americans grew and sold watermelons as a source of income. However, racist advertisements and imagery later used watermelons to mock black people and reinforce offensive stereotypes. This historical context helps explain why Erica found the placement of the black baby doll next to a watermelon toy offensive, although it remains unclear whether the store arranged the items intentionally.

Viewers Agree With Black South Carolina Woman’s Accusation

Many viewers sided with the black South Carolina woman following her accusation, with some believing that the store had intentionally placed the toys next to each other. “That is actually so messed up omg,” one person wrote. Another expressed frustration over the situation, commenting, “They hate us so much.” Someone else agreed with Erica’s suspicions, claiming, “That was definitely on purpose.”

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Others continued expressing outrage over the situation, with some criticizing the store and its employee. “I would’ve had my child knock over everything in the store !” one person wrote. Another questioned why people would behave in such a way, commenting, “I could never understand on why people are so hateful.” Someone else claimed to have had a similar experience with the same employee, adding, “I went there to and that same lady was also doing the same thing to me and she was very rude.”

The incident raised broader questions about how the arrangement of products in stores can carry potentially offensive meanings, regardless of whether the placement was intentional. It also highlighted the importance of addressing concerns about racial stereotypes appropriately while establishing the facts before drawing conclusions.