Debbie Garrett, Quinnie Nichols, and Dr. Opal Lee a.k.a. "The Grandmother of Juneteenth."
I attended the third annual Queenish Black Dolls Showcase on February 24, 2024, in Lancaster, Texas.
It had been a while since I was in a room of black dolls that were not my own and I loved it! Most of the showcased dolls are from the collection of Quinnie Nichols, show host and founder of Queenish Professional Women's Club.
View a combined recording of my walk-through of the showcase below:
I stand with doll artist, Tiffani Dean as I hold dolls that "used to be" hers.
As indicated in the video, I met doll artist, Tiffani Dean. I purchased one doll from her and my daughter purchased two of Tiffani's art dolls for me. She signed and dated each doll.
This green-haired doll was recently named Ivy by Tiffani Dean's fans. Ivy is a very suitable name for her. Because emerald is my birthstone, Ivy came home with me.
Simone (the larger doll) and Rachel, the doll being held, caught my attention first because I love dolls with dolls. Unfortunately, the two were separately priced. Tiffani said she displayed them that way for the show. Sensing my disappointment that they were priced separately, my daughter said, "I'll buy them for you," and she did!
I am with Dr. Opal Lee at the Queenish Black Dolls Showcase on 2-24-24.
The height of my doll showcase experience was meeting "The Grandmother of Juneteenth," Dr. Opal Lee. I walked the doll room with her as she admired the beautiful black dolls, the likes of which she had never seen.
Dr. Lee admires the dolls in the showcase as I and others look on.
I purchased an autographed copy of Dr. Lee's book, Juneteenth a Children's Story, which should be read to or by every child and adult; it provides a greater understanding of why Juneteenth is celebrated and why Dr. Lee's passionate work led to it becoming a national holiday, signed into legislation by President Joe Biden in 2021.
The front and back covers of Dr. Lee's book, Juneteenth a Children's Story
Dr. Lee's autograph appears on the Acknowledgements page of her book.
Another vendor at the show was reborn artist Julie Ollison. Some of her reborn dolls are illustrated next.
Reborn dolls by Julie Ollison
I was photographed holding a full-silicone doll that was so lifelike!
Several podcasts/interviews were made throughout the event. Some of these can be viewed below.
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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"Let Freedom Ring" (Temperance) by Gloria Rone represents an 8-year-old child of slavery.
Celebrated 156 years by African Americans (mostly in Texas and later in other states), Juneteenth celebrates the day or time frame in which African Americans learned of their emancipation from enslavement. For Texans, freedom did not fall on the same date that Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863) or on the date the proclamation was signed; it was two and a half years later when they learned of their freedom!
When I think of freedom, I think of my African roots, longing to know the true origin of my ancestors. As a result of my longing to know, a few dolls from my collection dressed in Afrocentric clothing worn traditionally and festively by people of the African diaspora are illustrated here in honor of Juneteenth and my African and American roots.
American Girl Addy, who represents a formerly enslaved girl, wears a limited edition Kente-cloth-print dress, crown, and sandals made by Tamisha McPherson. She holds a fan made from the same fabric.
Patty-Jo, a faceless cloth doll by Betty Ativie, wears a yellow African-print dress that Betty made for the doll.
1980s Keisha Doll Company dolls are dressed as Cleopatra and Ashanti I and Ashanti II.
Made by M'simbi Dolls of Zambia, Mapalo wears an African-print dress.
Reema Afia by Makedaa Dolls wears a dress made from authentic African fabric and an African-print mask. (The mask was added by me after receiving it as a gift from Marilyn Bloodworth.)
Khari by Brains and Beauty Dolls also wears an African-print dress.
Queens of Africa Nneka's head wrap, lace top, and dress are made of authentic African fabrics. The doll was a custom-made gift from the creator of the doll line, Taofick Okoya.The meaning of Nneka is "Mother is superior," which is "IBO" [Igbo] a language from the eastern area of Nigeria, where most of the names are symbolic.
The One and Only Zamika Martin by Zambardon Corporation was released during the late 1980s wearing an eyelet-trimmed Kente-cloth-print dress.
Aisha by Sarah Niemela (2021) wears a sculpted-on paper clay dress that has Afrocentric trim.
(New Face) Imani by Olmec (1990s) wears a two-piece Kente-cloth-print dress.
Maya Angelou Barbie (2020) wears a dashiki dress and matching head wrap.
African Mother and baby, stock #2025741; and Father, stock #2025740 by Petitcollin of France post-1995; mother and father wear boubous made from authentic African textiles.
Nubia Kemita x2 by Muna Mboa of France (2015) wear dresses made from similar African fabric.
Repainted, rerooted Tamica (Barbie) (temporarily named Nana Yaayaa) wears a no-sew dress made from fabric that contains the colors of the national flag of Ghana.
Rosemary Rock Flowers also wears a no-sew dress made from the same red, yellow, green, and black scarf (the colors of the Global African Quad flag and the Ghana flag).
Fashion Corner Zahara from 1999 (the doll on the right) wears a Kente-print blouse.
Fresh Dolls Tamra wears a dress made from African wax print by Laylee M. Doll Clothes who has a shop on Etsy.
Brooklyn Barbie wears a no-sew dress made from Black History Month Coiffed Crowns fabric found on Etsy.
Read Henry Louis Gates' article, What is Juneteenth? to learn more about the new federal holiday that commemorates the end of enslavement in America. Thanks to the bill that President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris signed on June 17, 2021, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act is official. Because the holiday falls on a Saturday this year, many federal offices will be closed Friday, June 18, 2021.
Learn more about the Global African Quad flag here.
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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
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