Barbie honors the nation’s first self-made female millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker, with new doll

LIFELeave a Comment on Barbie honors the nation’s first self-made female millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker, with new doll

Barbie honors the nation’s first self-made female millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker, with new doll

0 0
Read Time:4 Minute, 45 Second
The newest doll in Barbie’s “Inspiring Women” series is Madam C.J. Walker. (Photo: Mattel)

Mattel’s latest doll honors the life of entrepreneur, philanthropist and social activist Ms. C.J. Walker. Coinciding with Black Business Month in August, the doll is part of Barbie’s Inspiring Women collection.

Born in 1867, Ms. C.J. Walker was an African-American entrepreneur who, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, eventually became the first self-made woman millionaire in the United States. Known for creating successful hair care and cosmetic lines specifically for black women, her determination has opened the door for the next generation of women to enter the business world. Her legacy includes support for the NAACP, YWCA, YMCA, and several black colleges.

Most known for creating a successful line of hair care products and cosmetics specifically for Black women, Madame C.J. Walker’s determination led her to open doors for the next generation of women entering business. (Photo: Mattel)

“As a pioneer in entrepreneurship, philanthropy and activism, creating the blueprint for twentieth-century America’s self-made businesswomen and innovators, Ms. C.J. Walker is the embodiment of our Barbie Inspirational Women’s Collection,” said Mattel Executive Vice President and Barbie and Lisa McKnight, global head of dolls, said. “We are honored to welcome her to this pioneering group of women and to tell more children about her journey as one of America’s first broadly successful female founders.”

Mrs. C.J. Walker’s doll wears a printed floral blouse with a turquoise maxi skirt. The doll holds a miniature replica of her original Miracle Hair Tonic product.

Barbie tapped into today’s prolific voice for the doll’s creation, Walker’s great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles. As the author of “In Her Own Land”. Author of The Life and Times of Ms. C.J. Walker, Bundles works directly with Mattel – from packaging to hair development. The experience was especially exciting for Bundles, as she discovered black doll artists as an adult and became a doll collector.

“Being able to include Ms. C.J. Walker in Barbie’s line of inspirational women means her story will travel the world like never before,” Bonds told Yahoo Life. “Knowing that little girls and big girls will have access to Ms Walker, and the physical symbolism of her story, means it will explode in a way that has never been seen before.

Madam C.J. Walker, born in 1867, was a Black American entrepreneur who would eventually become the nation’s first self-made female millionaire. (Photo: courtesy of Mattel)

Her great-great-grandmother’s story prompted the former network television executive to pursue a life of service. Bonds currently serves on the boards of the Washington March Film Festival, Columbia Global Report, and the Schlesinger Library of American Women at Harvard Radcliffe College.

“I hope big girls — women — will be as excited about this doll as little girls,” Bonds shared. “…They can take the doll, put it on a shelf in the office, and look at her as an inspiration.”

“For little girls, I think there’s a real message in the way they play,” she added. “They can look at people like Ms. C.J. Walker and maybe see themselves as an entrepreneur — maybe see themselves as someone involved in social justice.”

The opportunity for Bundles to partner with Mattel was especially exciting after learning about another doll in the series. “There’s also a woman in the ‘Inspiring Women’ series — Ada-B-Wells — with whom she’s friends,” Bundles shared. “So maybe there’s even a chance to have a conversation between these two people. I just think the possibility of roleplaying, imagining and seeing yourself in these historical figures — it’s just a wonderful thing.”

The Madam C.J. Walker Barbie even comes with a miniature version of her most popular hair product. (Photo: Mattel)

Every step of the way the strapping company works with Mattel. Together they were able to face a unique challenge in clothing design. “We only see black-and-white photos of women in the early 20th century,” Bundles said. “But we were able to use purple and turquoise — two of her favorites — to brighten things up and make [the doll] feel fashion-forward.”

The attention to detail is throughout, even in the doll’s box. “We were able to use a vintage photo as the background behind the doll, it’s Mrs Walker’s mansion in 1924, which housed her hundreds of sales agents. The information on the back, her biography, we really spent weeks time, just to make sure we got all the important stuff.”

Launched in 2018, Barbie’s Inspirational Women’s Collection pays homage to the incredible heroines of their time; brave women who took risks, changed the rules, and paved the way for generations of girls to dream bigger than ever bigger. Last year, the collection paid tribute to Maya Angelo, Helen Keller and Eleanor Roosevelt. Others honored as part of the “Inspiring Women Series” include Billy King, Ella Fitzgerald, Florence Nightingale, Susan B-Anthony, Amelie Earhart, Katherine Johnson, Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks and Sally Ryder. Earlier this year, the series honored Ida-B-Wells and Jane Goodall for their heroic advocacy for civil rights and protecting the environment, respectively.

The launch is yet another step in Barbie’s commitment to inspiring, inspiring and encouraging young girls everywhere. It’s important to Mattel that young girls see not only themselves reflected in products and content, but the role models that preceded them. As diversity and inclusion grow, Barbie vows to continue to provide resources that directly impact the black community through the Dream Gap Project Fund.

The Lady C.J. Walker Barbie is available at Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Mattel Creative from August 24th for a suggested retail price of $35.

Happy
Happy
0 %
Sad
Sad
0 %
Excited
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
Angry
0 %
Surprise
Surprise
0 %

Average Rating

5 Star
0%
4 Star
0%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back To Top