“Mattel also sells a more expensive, “deluxe” Fisher Price Nativity, which depicts the Magi as people of color. But rather than introducing diversity, as we hope Mattel intended, it just depicts all of the holy characters as white while only including people of color in smaller supporting roles. That introduces an explicit racial hierarchy that says white characters are superior.
White Jesus toys harm white children and children of color alike by aligning Christianity with white supremacy. While one might be tempted to dismiss the playset as “just a toy,” it’s a formative image that impressionable young children will remember and carry with them for years to come. It’s also an incorrect version of history.
Sadly, there’s a long and harmful history of turning Jesus white to fuel colonialism and white supremacy. Fr. James Martin, S.J., explained last year in America magazine, “Images of white Jesus have obviously been used to promote the idea that white is best.”
Mattel executives need to hear from a grassroots movement of Christians who want them to immediately dissociate their company from that history.” 1
