Black Doll Collecting: Jackie Robinson a Doll for Democracy

1973-1974 B'nai B'rith Doll Ladies and Girl Scouts are seen with a group of Dolls for Democracy that includes the Jackie Robinson doll by Ruth Cecil Bullard Weeks. Photograph courtesy of the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego.

During the 1950s through the 1970s, the B'nai B'rith Women (now known as Jewish Women International) used a series of dolls in private and parochial schools to teach diversity. The dolls represented a diverse group of noted humanitarians. Most were made by Ruth Cecil Bullard Weeks, noted doll artist and B'nai B'rith member. Usually, each group contained 38 dolls. The women who used the dolls to teach diversity were known as "doll ladies."

Known African American dolls in the series are Marian Anderson, Ralph Bunche, George Washington Carver, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jackie Robinson (shown above and in several pictures below).

Sculpted of clay with cloth bodies and legs with wire armature, Marian Anderson and George Washington Carver appear to be the easiest-to-locate African American figures in this collection with Ralph Bunche, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jackie Robinson being harder to find.

According to the Breman Organization archives, "One set was sent to Atlanta where they were used by the local chapter of B’nai B’rith Women to teach diversity and democratic values at local clubs, scout meetings and church and synagogue groups." Their collection includes 17 historical figures that represent diversity and democratic values. The Jackie Robinson doll/figure, the subject of this post, is not included in their collection.

Of all the collections I have seen online since acquiring Marian Anderson in 2015, which prompted research on the collections, I have rarely seen the Jackie Robinson doll with the Ralph Bunche doll being the most elusive.

The Jackie Robinson doll is included in the Dolls for Democracy Collection owned by the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego. Two photos from their collection are shown below.

Jackie Robinson Doll for Democracy is seen in the background in this photo and the next which were courtesy of the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego.

Photograph courtesy of the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego.

Recently, I was contacted by Mr. G. Honcharuk, a fortunate owner of a Jackie Robinson doll, who shared several pictures and allowed me to share the pictures here of this elusive "Doll for Democracy."

Jackie Robinson is approximately 10 inches tall and is dressed in a replica of the Dodgers baseball uniform he wore when he broke the color barrier as the first African American Major League Baseball player in the 1940s.

Here is a somewhat closer look at Robinson's face.

The Jackie Robinson doll holds a baseball in the right hand.

The doll/figure is permanently attached to a wooden base.

A paper label is attached to the bottom of the base with "Jackie Robinson" handwritten at the top and the artist's street address handwritten below the printed words, "Entirely Hand Made/By/Cecil Weeks/INDEPENDENCE, MO."

The Jackie Robinson doll appears in this final photo courtesy of G. Honcharuk.

Thank you again, Mr. Honcharuk, for permission to use photos of your Jackie Robinson Doll for Democracy. Additionally, I would like to thank the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego for sharing the noted photos from their collection.

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Monday, August 17, 2020

Jackie Robinson a Doll for Democracy