Nationwide — Rosa Parks, known as the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, is being honored with a Barbie doll that resembles her. Children can now play with a toy that will truly inspire them, but the doll is also expected to be popular with collectors.
“By celebrating their achievements with dolls made in their likeness, we hope girls will be inspired to pursue their dreams,” a spokesperson for Mattel told CNN.
The Barbie doll will feature Parks’ authentic clothing and accessories as well as educational material about her contributions to society.
The launch of the new dolls comes as part of the brand’s Inspiring Women Series which aims to honor historical role models who paved the way for generations of girls to dream bigger.
Moreover, Mattel stated that research found that girls from the age of 5 are more likely than boys to experience the “Dream Gap” wherein they could feel like their own gender isn’t smart and competent enough. To address that, showing girls more role models and telling their stories could be beneficial.
Other women who are part of the new collection are Katherine Johnson, Frida Kahlo, Amelia Earhart, and Sally Ride.
