Nigerian couple Chris and Ada Ngoforo became concerned about their
three daughters’ ability to speak and comprehend their native language
Igbo when the family relocated to London. ”We observed that over 90%
of children born or living in the diaspora and millions in Africa do
not speak or understand their mother tongues,” says Chris Ngoforo. “Our
research made us understand that the reason for this is not because our
children don’t want to learn their mother tongues, but more because
there are not many essential tools that can easily be both educational
and fun at the same time.”
Soon after completing their research, the couple launched their own range of toys, called Rooti Dolls,
programmed to speak in several native African languages and promote
positive self-images. Currently, Rooti Dolls has a range of 12 dolls
from different African countries. Each one speaks a combination of
languages and has her own story. ”Over the years my wife and I have
found it extremely hard finding real black dolls that can truly connect
with our little daughters,” Chris Ngoforo says. “The dolls out
there in the market are nothing close to the real image of a black child
in terms of features and other attributes — they are either too thin,
too light or chiseled-faced, and even the complexions of most of the
dolls are kind of whitewashed.“
Chris Ngoforo continued: “The unfortunate effect of this stereotypical misrepresentation is a case of low self-esteem among black children who have been directly or indirectly made to believe less in themselves as a black child. They have been made to believe that you have to look like a white doll to be accepted as beautiful or even good.” Debbie Behan Garrett, author of ”The Definitive Guide to Collecting Black Dolls,” says that black dolls have changed a lot over the years. According to Garrett, in the early days, black dolls portrayed negative images of women. ”Today’s black dolls have evolved from negative caricatures to play-scale representations of haute couture fashion models and other positive images of babies, toddlers and adult black people,” says Garrett. She adds, however, that while today’s dolls are more positive representations, “a lack of black dolls is a constant, as black-doll manufacture is often a second thought for those in the business of producing dolls in their image.”
Several weeks ago, an image of an African-American doll sporting blonde hair, gold chains, cleavage, and two bags that are strikingly similar to the Louis Vuitton monogram multicolor collection surfaced on the internet and sparked controversy in the Black community.
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