Having dolls that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of America is important to every little girl. That’s the opinion of Mary Eubanks, founder and CEO of Children of America Dolls. Eubanks and her team have taken it upon themselves to help every girl of color embrace and celebrate their unique differences. They are doing this by making and marketing Diversity Dolls that are appropriate for girls of all ages.
For Eubanks, providing these dolls to young girls is not just a labor of love, but an important step in righting historic wrongs. According to Eubanks, “If we could go back a hundred years and the toy industry had given us dolls that looked a lot like us, this would not be an issue, but that didn’t happen. It has only started to happen, and I’m being generous, in the last seven or eight years. That’s also true in this country for Asian and Hispanic dolls.”
Eubanks developed her line of dolls because she remembers never having a doll that looked like her when she was a child. As she grew into adulthood, the significance of never seeing herself reflected in the dolls she played with became apparent. Dolls are often society’s representation of what is beautiful and perfect, and if all the dolls are of one race or ethnicity, the message sent to those who are not of that race or ethnic group can have devastating and long lasting psychological effects.
Eubanks has set out to change this, and her company markets four unique dolls that represent the four major ethnic groups in the United States. Parents can choose between Brianna, who is African-American, Andrea, representing Hispanics, Mia, an Asian-American doll, and the Caucasian Ashley. By offering diversity in her doll collection Eubanks hopes to allow young girls to build self-esteem and a sense of self during their formative years.
Eubanks recognizes that the four dolls only represent the four major ethnic groups, and there are other groups that lack representation in the form of dolls. For this reason, she plans to expand her line of dolls in the coming year. As she puts it, “the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of all young girls is unlimited.”
More information is available at the Children on American Dolls website and media inquiries can be directed to Eubanks using the embedded form on the site’s Contact page. The diversity dolls have been on the market since October 2014 and can be purchased directly from the company’s website at http://coadolls.com/. Children of America Dolls also has a presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
