Karen Byrd, founder of Natural Girls United, has developed a custom line of dolls that actually look like us. After noticing a lack of reflective images in kid toys for Black children, Byrd set out on a mission to create dolls that remind little brown girls “that their beauty is beautiful.”

“There is a serious need for our young girls to be able to have dolls that look like them,” said Byrd. “It is something that affects their self-esteem and confidence, and how they view themselves,” she continues. “There have been quite a few studies done that show that African American boys and girls often think of Black dolls as bad and white dolls as good. If a child is constantly looking at images, dolls, television, books and magazines and is only seeing beauty as something or someone with non-ethnic features, they are going to assume that this is what beauty is.”  

From locks to fros to twist-outs, Byrd offers it all. Check out her collection at NaturalGirlsUnited.com.
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(Photo: Courtesy Natural Girls United)