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Barbie Honors Ida B. Wells’ Legacy With New Doll
The doll is set to hit stores Monday.
Barbie has announced a new doll commemorating the legacy of civil rights icon Ida B. Wells. The new doll features a likeness of Wells holding a copy of “The Memphis Free Speech,” the newspaper where she served as an investigative journalist and editor before becoming a co-owner in the late 1800s.
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While at the paper, she documented and spearheaded a campaign against lynching. She went on to win the Pulitzer Prize and was a co-founder of the NAACP.
Michelle Duster, Wells’ great-granddaughter, and her brother worked with Mattel to ensure the doll was as bass as she was. In addition to the newspaper detailing, the doll sports a floor-grazing high-neck dress with black lace detail down the bodice and white lacing around the neck. The historically accurate look is completed with black heeled boots and a high bun.
“It’s an incredible honor to have my great-grandmother represented as part of the Barbie Inspiring Women Series,” Duster told USA TODAY in a recent interview. “She used her voice in every way she could to fight for freedom, justice, and equality. And her work, as well as her story, is relevant and inspiring for today’s world.”
To further honor Wells’ legacy, the Barbie Dream Gap Project has partnered with Girls Write Now to provide $25K in programming support to empower girls and gender-expansive young adults to share their stories.
“It is so important for kids to be exposed to role models like Ida B. Wells to remind them that they are powerful and can make a difference in the world,” said Lisa McKnight, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls, Mattel, in a recent statement.
The new doll is the latest addition to the brand’s Inspiring Women Series which is designed to highlight iconic “heroes who inspire us to dream big,” said the brand. Previous dolls include Maya Angelou, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Jean.
The goal will be available on Monday, Jan. 17 at major retailers including Walmart, Amazon, and Target.
