American Girl has announced a new doll named Melody. She's from 1960s-era Detroit, participates in the Civil Rights movement, and loves Motown.
Melody will be the third black doll in the company's history. The first was the well-known Addy, who lived during the Civil War and escaped slavery. The second was Cécile, who was from 19th century New Orleans, although you might not remember her as well because she was discontinued in 2014, a move that drew criticism to American Girl for loss of racial diversity. Since American Girl was founded in 1986, the company has released 20 historical character dolls but only six depicting girls of color (Along with Addy, Cecile and Melody, there's the Native American doll Kaya, Mexican doll Josefina and Chinese American doll Ivy.)
Melody Ellison loves singing and is inspired by Martin Luther King. An Instagram post from American Girl shows Melody dancing in a record store. According to CBS, Melody loves Motown music.
We're excited for another black American girl doll, especially one as adorable as Melody.
Image Via American Girl/Instagram
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Madeline Raynor is a New York City-based writer. She is a Blog Editor at BUST. She has written for Splitsider, The Billfold, Death and Taxes, Mashable, Indiewire, and Time Out New York. She loves all things Tina Fey. Word to the wise: her first name is pronounced with a long “i,” like the red-haired girl from France. Follow her on Twitter @madelineraynor_.
