Here at LorettaRose LLC, we like to keep ourselves informed on what is happening in the toy industry. Thankfully, we also have a super cool and hip aunt that never fails when it comes to sending us interesting articles that she comes across on the Internet. Thanks to Aunt Update, I found myself reading an article written by Upworthy about a doll company that recently received a $200,000 investment during their appearance on the TV show Shark Tank. The company, Naturally Perfect Dolls, sells 18-inch girl dolls that are available in a number of skin tones and hair textures, in order to appeal to a wide range of African American and mixed race young girls.

Naturally Perfect Dolls made it their mission to fill the diversity void in the doll market, so that young African American and mixed race girls would have access to dolls that highlight their unique beauty. As I was reading the Upworthy article about the company’s success on Shark Tank, I was troubled by the realization that the concept of a doll line to represent black beauty is new and novel in 2017. Then I thought to myself, “Of course, I never noticed unbalanced racial representation in dolls because I am white.” As a little girl, I had a huge selection of dolls to choose from that looked exactly like me with green eyes and long, straight, light brown hair. As I continued to read and emerged from my bubble, it became so clear to me how privileged I was as a little girl to see my skin tone and hair texture represented as something that was considered appealing and “normal” by society. At least Naturally Perfect Dolls is here now to pop everyone else’s bubble a little bit sooner, or better yet, stop those bubbles from forming in the first place.

The idea that there should be a representation of black features in dolls for young girls is a bigger deal than most people might think. This is not about an African American girl wanting all her dolls to look exactly like her; this is about that girl being given the option to choose between a doll that looks like her and a doll that does not. When that little girl sees a doll that looks like her on the shelf in Toys “R” Us, she realizes that the way she looks can also be considered beautiful by society. If we don’t have all skin tones and hair types represented on the shelf in the toy store, what does that teach children about our society’s standards of beauty? A lack of representation teaches our youth that certain features are more desirable than others, and that mentality is what ultimately leads to prejudice and hate. This is why I see Naturally Perfect Dolls getting a fat check on Shark Tank as an extra point on the scoreboard for team Make America Love Again.

Even though we are inspired by different themes, the family that started Naturally Perfect Dolls shares the same spirit that I find within my own family. The main idea here is love and acceptance of all people; if you know anything about LorettaRose LLC, you know that’s right up our alley. It is truly inspiring and exciting to see a company like this get such a big opportunity to make a difference...even though the devil on our left shoulder is really freakin’ jealous and we wish it was us. Just kidding. Sort of. We are coming for you, Mark Cuban.