Collaborations

As a child, I loved playing with dolls. As a result, I had many: some were fashion dolls, others were baby dolls, and others were toddler dolls. My dolls were lovely. They had beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes. Unfortunately, I did not see my beauty reflected in these dolls. They didn't have my gorgeous, black, curly hair; inquisitive dark-brown eyes; or lovely brown skin.

As a doll expert and mother, I am dedicated to increasing the diversity, equity, inclusion, and empathy in the doll world. To meet my goals, I promote the work of doll professionals--especially women and people of color. I have included information about some of my collaborations in this section.

Supporting Small Black Doll Creators

Doll Store: My professional doll journey began about a decade ago when I opened the doll store, Curiositeej™ Dolls & Collectibles. My goals were two-fold. The short-term goal was to raise money to cover my child's medical expenses. The long-term goal was to create an entrepreneurial opportunity for my child to successfully financially support themself. Because my child loved dolls and used them as ways to manage their social, mental, and physical health, a doll store was the logical choice.

Supporting Small Black Doll Creators: As a parent and doll store owner, I knew there were many more white dolls on the market than Black dolls; so, as I looked for dolls, I focused on small, Black doll creators.

Our store was one of the first in the US to carry the 12-inch fashion dolls, Queens of Africa (QoA) created by the Nigerian entrepreneur, Taofick Okoya. My store was also the only US store to carry the 18-inch, A-Girls made by the Botswana professor and doll creator, Bakani July. In addition, I have networked with multiple creators of Black dolls from around the world.

Helping Connect Black Dolls & Doll Lovers

Operation Sankofa: As I looked for small Black doll creators, I stumbled across a number of Black doll advocates, enthusiasts, and organizations. including Ama Guye, owner of the organization, Operation Sankofa. Ama's goal is to connect Black dolls and Black children. Ama gives Black dolls to children in Britain, Ghana, and Senegal.

Through my contacts, I helped Ama acquire and give more than 100 Black dolls to children. Ama and I purchased dolls and doll collectors donated dolls.

Podcast: In 2021, I created the Annual World of Black Doll Celebration to introduce creators of Black dolls from around the world to a global audience. $2K worth of dolls were given away in the celebration, and the doll creators increase their sales. One follower told me she purchased 6 dolls from creators who participated in the Celebration.

Gifted a Doll and Outfits to 5K+ Podcast Followers: By the end of 2021, our followers were on every continent and lived in at least one-third of the world's countries. I worked out an agreement with doll creator, Darla Davenport-Powell, to allow us to share a beautiful paper doll--including her outfits and accessories. It was truly a dream come true.

Global Collaborations

I am a trusted and often sought out advisor to doll professionals, collectors, and people interested in entering the doll field. I have also been interviewed by podcasts and written articles for doll magazines. In addition I have initiated and/or assisted collaborations between doll professionals across specialties.

One of my most recent collaborations was with Polish doll photographer, author, and architect, Izabela Kwella. I wrote the foreword for and edited her book entitled Doll Photography.

See video below for details about Doll Photography.