From 'Barbie' to the long-time controversy over American Girl's Addy, it's clear dolls play a big role in kids' lives—and representation is everything.
Illustration by Eliana Rodgers for Kindred by Parents Wm Doll
For thousands of years, dolls have played a pivotal role in the childhood of young children, providing an avenue of expression and imagination for hours on end. From Barbie to American Girl to Bratz, play through the use of dolls has remained constant for centuries. Though mass-produced American dolls were initially white-dominated with little variation, the doll industry has expanded to provide more inclusivity with its products in relation to looks, profession, physical ability, and more—a change that has influenced how children, specifically Black girls, view themselves.
Sabria Jay’s mother helped to foster a sense of self-pride and love for herself by exclusively purchasing Black dolls for her childhood collection. “My mom was born in the 60s, and that’s around the time that Christie, the Black Barbie doll, came out,” she explained.“When I was younger, my mom always wanted me to love myself and see that like, Black is beautiful, and there’s nothing wrong with being Black and comfortable with who I was as a Black child.”
This action may have seemed small at the time, but it eventually displayed itself positively in her personal development and mentality as a teen. “Even now, I still collect dolls and only buy the Black ones. It’s just very easy for me to just see the beauty and Blackness,” Jay shared. “I know that for some of us as teenagers, unfortunately for Black women, went through like self-hate phases. But I never thought I was ugly because I was Black.” Jay has been an avid collector for over 20 years.
Many dollmakers after [Leo] Moss sought to change the way Black dolls, and people, were seen by non-Black society.
Leo Moss, a handyman who resided in Macon, GA, started creating Black dolls made with paper mâché heads in the late 1800s, modeling them after members of his community. To make them Black, Moss would paint the dolls with chimney soot or boot dye. After being rediscovered in the 1970s, a collector purchased some of these dolls from his family, a few of which can be seen in museums and archives, with the largest collection in the Charles H Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. Some of the dolls can still be found with the original names and ages of the children and adults that they were modeled after.
Many doll makers after Moss sought to change the way Black dolls, and people, were seen by non-Black society. With prejudice being promoted in the media, there existed a desire to portray Black people in a more realistic, beautiful light through toys.
After observing Black girls playing with white dolls and concluding that these children deserved dolls they could relate to, Sara Lee Creech created a plan to manufacture Black dolls in 1949. Through research, she learned that racial prejudice could be passed down to kids through toys and play. In collaboration with women of renown like Mary McLeod Bethune, Eleanor Roosevelt, Zora Neale Hurston, and the presidents of Howard University and Morehouse College, Creech was able to convince Ideal Toy Company to make this a reality. Though the doll did not do well on the market, Creech continued her efforts to support inclusivity and equality through philanthropy and activism.
“We really want to foster that creativity, that aspect of their mind that deals with critical thinking. That happens with seeing different representations of themselves."
We really want to foster that creativity, that aspect of their mind that deals with critical thinking. That happens with seeing different representations of themselves.
“A lot of times, media will perpetuate Black girls, Black women, Black boys, individuals that do not identify as men or women, in a specific way,” says Dr. Raquel Martin, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist, scientist, and professor. “It’s a very limiting belief and it makes individuals feel as though they can’t be anything outside of that stereotypical norm.” Children’s self-esteem, inner thoughts, and self-confidence can be either positively or negatively influenced depending on how people who look like them or they relate to are portrayed in the media. In Common Sense Media’s Inclusion Imperative Report, researchers found that the media children consume directly relates to their ethnic-racial development, citing that being subjected to stereotypical depictions can result in negative views on appearance and a heightened sensitivity to views from others. It can also impact children’s outlooks on things like careers and professions.
“We really want to foster that creativity, that aspect of their mind that deals with critical thinking. That happens with seeing different representations of themselves," Dr. Martin said. Exposure to positive representation improves self-perception and produces more favorable feelings in relation to self-worth, image, and individuality, and can enhance a child’s pride in themselves. “Parents who choose to buy these dolls are ensuring that their children are able to play in ways that are representative to them and the communities in which they live,” Dr. Martin added.
Increased inclusivity and diversity in media and play can also foster a deeper understanding and respect for other cultures, leading to more open-minded thinking and acceptance of others. “You want Black children to normalize seeing themselves and staying in those spaces where they do see themselves and feel welcome in those spaces,” explained Dr. Martin, “and understand the difference between someone who just deals with your presence and someone who celebrates it.”
Today, kids have a variety of dolls to choose from. Brands and companies are becoming more inclusive and producing dolls of varying sizes, ethnicities, abilities, and even those with different hair types and styles.
“There are different ranges and skin tones and differences. There are dolls with albinism and vitiligo. There are dolls in wheelchairs, plus-sized dolls. Dolls of different heights. Everything is changing and becoming more inclusive, and it’s not in a corny way. It’s very natural,” said Jay. Martin shared a similar sentiment in stating that people are constantly growing and developing, so that type of representation could be beneficial to adults as well. “I know we talk a lot about the formative years, but we’re always forming. We’re always shaped by our experiences. The formative years are constant. A lot of times, people are re-parenting themselves and giving themselves what they needed at that age.”
Providing Black girls with dolls that they can see themselves in and relate to is one of many essential ways to increase their confidence, enhance pride in their race and culture, and ensure a more positive outlook on their futures.
“I tell people, even if you don’t have children, buy the doll,” said Dr. Martin. “I don’t care if you’re walking down the street giving out dolls. Buy the dolls. There’s somebody that needs it.”
How Inclusivity Shepherded Barbie® Through Decades of Success. American Marketing Association of New York. 2021.
The Inclusion Imperative: Why Media Representation Matters For Kids' Ethnic-Racial Development. Common Sense Media. 2021.
Why Representation Matters in Kids' Media. Common Sense Media. 2021.
Meet the New Wave of More 'Diverse' Barbie Dolls. Smithsonian Magazine. 2021.
Dolls Hold Significance and Break Cultural and Racial Barriers. National Museum of African American History and Culture. 2022.
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