Shaneisha Dodson said her urge to create the first-ever 18-inch Black superhero doll stemmed from her inability to find several dolls she could identify herself with as she was growing up. She also said the dolls did not possess the cultural traits of her fellow Black people – hence her creation of the Sugamama doll, Black Business reported.
Dodson, who is the founder and CEO of the kids’ retail company Brilliant Girl, said her organization’s aim is to ensure Black girls are also afforded representation when it comes to choosing toys they want to play with. And to make playing with the superhero dolls more entertaining, the toys have been given interesting backstories as well as several clothes that they can be changed into.
“All superheroes don’t wear capes, sometimes they wear aprons and eat cookies. With our dolls, we hope to give young girls the power to love themselves, to believe that can achieve the unimaginable, and to see themselves as the superheroes they are. Girls idolize their dolls and finding dolls that represent their true essence and the beauty of their culture is amazing,” Dodson said.
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Brilliant Girl’s inaugural doll is the Sugamama Doll. She is described as a girl superhero who enjoys baking and munching on cookies. Besides the doll, Brilliant Girl also has picture books and coloring books that will enable children to get to know more about Sugamama’s adventures.
