5 Black Toy Companies That Embrace Multicultural Identity and Culture

In the 1940s, African-American psychologists Kenneth Bancroft Clark and his wife, Mamie Phillps Clark, designed a test known as the “doll test” to see how children responded to race. The test was administered to black children between the ages of three and seven. When the children were asked which of the four dolls that they were shown did they prefer, the majority selected the white doll and described it as most desirable, whereas the black dolls were described as the least desirable.

In recent years, there have been conscious attempts within the toy industry to present a more diverse selection of dolls—Mattel introduced the “black” Barbie, the cabbage patch kids now include dolls of a darker hue, and Disney released a doll of its first black princess. Despite these efforts, some African-Americans have taken it upon themselves to create and produce dolls and other kid friendly items to help instill a sense of self-pride and self-awareness in minority children. Here’s our list of those black toy companies that are helping to make the industry more reflective of today’s diverse children’s population:

HIA Toys

From the time he was a little boy, Sterling Ashby was a comic book enthusiast. His boyhood passion and a Christmas shopping experience inspired him to create his own line of collectibles. The idea came to Ashby in 2003 when he purchased a doll of a famous scientist for a friend’s son. Ashby and the young boy were both amazed by the doll. Using that experience as a guide, Ashby launched History in Action Toys, a line that consists of a series of action figures that Ashby describes as fun, positive role models whose real-life stories are designed to awaken both a child’s imagination and appeal to the kid in everyone.

Uzuri Kid Kidz

Uzuri Kid Kidz offers consumers multicultural toys like The Pepper Doll to help kids of color embrace their own image. The company’s offering includes toys, party supplies and accessories that have cultural themes. The Uzuri Kid Kidz line contains a host of many loveable characters, including sisters Penny and Pepper, the ballerina detectives and friends, Princess Amira, Dancing Wendy and the Ballerina Babes.

Kwanzaa Kidz

Kwanzaa Kidz was created to celebrate African heritage, educate children about their cultural legacy and build self-esteem to enrich communities. Kwanzaa Kidz offers African-centered products such as videos, books, puzzles and board games to both educate and entertain children.

EthiDolls

Ethiopian entrepreneurs Salome Yilma and Yeworkwoha Ephrem founded EthiDolls in 2003 to offer families an authentic, alternative choice from mainstream selections. EthiDolls is developer of collectible quality, educational, African dolls and accessories. Based in New York City, the company’s mission is to create unique dolls and accessories, such as story and audio books, that can help children and adults embrace African heritage, culture and tradition. The dolls are based on black female leaders throughout history, including Makeda: The Queen of Sheba and Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen of the Asante people.

Dolls Like Me

The philosophy of Dolls Like Me is simple: children need to see the world the way it really is. The company helps them do just that by providing what children of color with positive images of themselves. The New York based company was founded in 2005 by Denise Gary Robinson, an African-American entrepreneur. Robinson believes that children should have dolls that look like them and their friends too, which she celebrates through her collection. The collection features dolls of a variety of skin tones that are dressed to reflect ethnic varieties. Besides dolls, the company also offers baby gifts, party ware, books, games, and hair and skin products.