Saturday, April 8, 2017

USA Today: Black Girls Have Been Playing With White Dolls For a Long Time





Published Saturday, April 8, 2017, on USA Today's website, the above titled article by William Cummings discusses the continued need for black-doll representation.

His article, inspired by the 2-year-old whom a Target cashier futilely attempted to convince to buy a doll that "looked like her," can be read here.

If the link does not work, Google "USA Today black girls black dolls." 

I enjoyed reading the article, and I am honored to have been asked to share my input on the significance of black girls owning dolls that reflect their image.

dbg
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12 comments:

  1. Congratulations Debbie! I wasn't able to get to the article from the link that you posted, but I was able to search for the article on the usatoday website. I enjoyed the article and loved reading your input!

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    1. Thanks for letting me know you were unable to link to the article. I have updated the link, which appears to be working now.

      Thank you for reading and loving my input. I enjoyed the input from Samantha Knowles as well.

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  2. And you say you aren't famous! :D
    Thank-you Debbie it was a great article and I agree with your opinion. Children need to see themselves in their toys. So much of playing, especially with dolls, is about imagining situations both present and future. If you have dolls that look like you as well as others, it's easier to imagine a world where you and others have a place and to accept diversity and equality when you grow up.

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    1. I feel honored that my passion and research on the subject of black dolls allows me to share my opinions about the significance of black dolls on the market for children as well as for adults who choose to collect them.

      I will forever believe that black dolls for black children (in addition to other cultural awareness teachings and exposures) are a vital tool in promoting self-worth. A person cannot give love fully until they fully love themselves and the skin they are in. Representation matters for everyone, not just for a select few.

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  3. It was a very good article and congratulations on being contacted for your input. I agree with your comments. As a white parent of 2 Asian girls, I found it very difficult to find Asian dolls for them. Even when I travelled in China, I was unable to find any Asian playline dolls for them. I finally was able to find some nice Asian dolls for them on China Sprout for them. This being said, I focused our dolls and reading material not only on Asian dolls, but thought it important for them to have dolls from all ethnic groups. As an adult collector, I like to also have diversity in my collection be it via race, body type, gender or other.

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    1. Hi Phyllis,

      It really should not be as difficult as it has been and often continues to be for people to find dolls of their choice, particularly when the choice involves ethnicity or cultural attributes. I applaud you for taking the extra steps to ensure your girls see themselves and others in their dolls.

      Pattycake dolls specializes in multiculral dolls. If your girls are still of doll-playing age or remain interested in dolls, you might find something of interest for them there. Very few fashion dolls, if any, are offered by Pattycake, however.

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    2. I would like to add that Corolle's Les Chéries line has two Asian dolls:Capucine and Candice. They're little girl dolls, 33cm tall and very fashionable.
      Cecile is the line's black doll if anyone is looking for that option.:-)

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    3. Thank you for including the information about these dolls, Maricha!

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  4. I saw this story on tv yesterday. First I will speak on the 2yr. I love that it took a 2yr old to "school" the cashier. This cashier was way out of line. For a 2yr old to articulate how she felt about the doll and why they were the same, wasn't nothing but God using her to not only send the message to the cashier, but to millions of others who needed to hear it.

    It is vital that kids are taught self-worth in as many ways as possible, doll play being one of them. It's also important that kids are taught how important we all are in this thing called life, so at an early age we can learn to be a more caring and compassionate nation.

    Congrats on getting recognized and referenced!

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    1. The Target cashier was way out of line and should be counseled regarding her behavior. It is not her job to convince customers what to buy or to offer her unsolicited opinion, especially to a 2-year-old child! Attitudes like hers create racial bias -- it's like a contagious disease that passes from person to person. It becomes a vicious cycle of misguided indoctrination that is difficult to break.

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      Children are like sponges. They learn quickly but it may take them longer to unlearn untruths.

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  5. I think this shows that we as human beings have a long way to go when it comes to embracing beauty and valuing cultural differences. When I saw that Monster High dolls that favor aliens and zombies are popular, I thought but where are all the multiracial dolls? Why are we embracing zombies and alien dolls before valuing dolls of various colors of the human race? As a black girl growing up I had lots of dolls of different ethnicities and still do. It saddens me to think that a four year old would have to tell an adult who grew up seeing our first multiracial and black president take office that her black doll is just like her. All that cashier saw was color which is shameful with all the beauty and diversity this world has to offer. The only thing this tells me is no NASA, we are obviously not ready to meet any aliens anytime soon. We need to deal with racism on planet Earth first.

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    1. Thanks for expressing your opinion, Ticia.

      Some people will embrace animals quicker than they will a person of a different race or socioeconomic status. We are all human beings who deserve the same amount of respect and consideration as the next person. Until we are able to do this collectively, we are doomed as a society. I can see it now, a human attempting to take over another planet by claiming their dominion over the planet's original inhabitants and attempting to place them in concentration camps or on reservations.

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