New Barbie Pays Tribute to Civil Rights Activist, Suffragist Ida B. Wells
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Photo by Suzy Brooks on Unsplash
Monday (Jan. 17) is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day set aside to honor the legacy of the important civil rights leader. With the importance of this holiday, it makes sense that this would be a perfect time for Barbie to introduce its latest doll, which pays tribute to a civil rights activist.
Barbie is honoring the legacy of journalist and activist Ida B. Wells with a new doll crated in her likeliness. The new doll is in conjunction with the company’s “Inspiring Women” series.
The new Barbie doll features Wells in a black dress, holding a copy of “The Memphis Free Speech and Headlight,” which is the newspaper for which she was a writer.
The doll will be available for purchase at major retailers starting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 17).
“When kids learn about heroes like Ida B. Wells, they don’t just imagine a better future – they know they have the power to make it come true,” Barbie said in an Instagram post.
Wells was born a slave right before the Civil War. She fought against segregated schools and brought to light lynchings and other killings of Black people in the Reconstructionist South.
Barbie has been releasing a plethora of new dolls as part of their “Inspiring Women” series. Previous dolls in the series include Susan B. Anthony, Maya Angelou, Helen Keller, Florence Nightengale and Billie Jean King.
