America's first female millionaire, Madame C.J. Walker, has been honored with a new Barbie doll in the Inspiring Women Barbie Signature collection.
In the early 1900s, Walker created and began selling her original hair care product, Madam Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower, after she began suffering from a scalp condition that caused hair loss. His wild success made her the first female millionaire in US history (at least the first documented).
In 2020, the Netflix series "Self-made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker" was released, with four episodes that tell the story of Walker's life and her journey to becoming the first female millionaire.
Two years later, Walker is honored with her Barbie doll "Inspiring Women" created by Mattel. The series is designed to pay tribute to courageous women who paved the way for future generations.
Walker's great-great-granddaughter, A'Lelia Bundles, who has written about Walker before, helped create the doll in honor of her distant grandmother. Bundles worked with a team of designers, choosing everything from clothes to hair textures and skin tones.
"I love knowing that little girls and boys can role-play and imagine themselves as entrepreneurs, philanthropists and social justice advocates like Madam Walker," she told Fortune magazine.
Walker joins a collection that has previously honored and highlighted the work of Ida B. Wells, Rosa Parks and Maya Angelou with their own dolls.
"When I was 3, my mom made sure I had a black doll because she knew the power of images and role models," Bundles wrote on Twitter after the doll was unveiled. "Receiving this doll is an incredibly beautiful gift, not only for me, but also for little girls who can see themselves."
Barbie Walker is dressed in colorful clothing with a floral print and detailed stitching, paired with her own hair accessory to commemorate her work and the business she created.
Collection: Barbie Signature
Release date: 08/24/2022
Designer: Carlyle Nuera
Label: Black
Face sculpt (mold): Nichel
Body type: curved, articulated
SKU#: HLM19
Dolls in catalog
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