For the past fifteen years, American Girl has put out, with much fanfare and anticipation, a limited-edition collection called “Girl of the Year”, to reflect the modern girl. This year, that honor goes to Gabriela McBride and AG fans could not be any happier! Revealed on Good Morning America on December 29th, the doll comes with her own unique backstory that will unquestionably inspire, proving that #blackgirlsrock!
Gabriela uses her two art forms—dance and poetry—to overcome a stuttering problem. The Gabriela Collection includes performance accessories, a deejay setup, a microphone, and of course a corresponding book series that follows her journey, which was authored by Teresa E. Harris. In addition to the books and doll, American Girl has partnered with Scholastic to create a curriculum program, Express Yourself, that will teach poetry to students. The program will also feature contests to celebrate National Poetry Month in April.
Gabriela is described in a company press release as a “true creative talent” who uses poetry to “break down barriers” while overcoming a “personal challenge”. Additional Gabriela products and books will be available starting spring 2017.
