these cute new dolls empower black kids to embrace their brains and beauty

Niya Dorsey came up with the idea for Brains and Beauty Dolls while cuddling with her one-month-old daughter and affirming the child’s beauty aloud.

“I told her how beautiful she is, how I couldn’t wait to have tea parties with her, get a mani-pedi together and how I want her to grow up and follow all her dreams, become a leader and so on,” Dorsey explains. “Suddenly, I got an epiphany: A doll is a girl’s best friend. […] I decided I don’t want a doll that teaches my daught6er how to be a good mom, I wanted a doll that encouraged her to believe in herself and to achieve her goals no matter what.”

Brains and Beauty Dolls are specifically for children of color. Currently conceived as a set of three characters—Malia, Khari and Nia—the dolls speak twenty empowering phrases that Dorsey and fellow parents wanted to message their children.

“Today, many young girls suffer from low self-esteem due to society’s negative perceptions, bullying, and lack of encouragement,” Dorsey continued. “I want to help develop self-awareness and positive self-esteem in the lives of little girls with the help of my dolls.”

Dorsey has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the first doll, Malia, modeled after her own daughter, with hopes of unlocking the other dolls shortly!