Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have a rich history that is kept alive through the students and alumni. However, one Texas woman, Brooke Hart Jones, took it to the next level by creating a line of HBCU dolls to share the “magic of Historically Black Colleges and Universities” with everyone. These must-have dolls are the perfect gift for Christmas as they materialize the legacy of tradition and pride that HBCUs represent.
In a recent interview with USA Today, Jones spoke about how the HBCyoU Doll line went from simple birthday gift to a global phenomenon.
“We’re very proud of that,” Jones, who is a Hampton University alum, said in her interview. “We want to use it as an opportunity to plant the seed of higher learning, and as a tool to teach history…spread our legacy and champion and highlight and preserve the legacy of historically black colleges and universities.”
Jones continued stating that these dolls are more than just toys. The dolls are a representation of the rich history and themes that make up an HBCU campus.
“At historically black colleges and universities, homecoming is like no other,” Jones explained. “There’s like a full-on royal court and pageantry that could rival the British monarchy. That’s just a subculture that mainstream media probably isn’t aware of, but in the African American community being a homecoming queen at an HBCU is everything.”
Jones concluded by saying, “We’ve made a lot of strides with diverse skin color in the toy space. There’s been a lot of improvement but now we want to go deeper than just our beautiful hair and beautiful skin tone. We want to have more depth.”
And with each doll, depth is unquestionably what parents are purchasing. Every doll in the line tells a story, whether it is homecoming queen, majorette, cheerleader, student body president, or beyond, these dolls encourage conversations about the overall HBCU experience.
Are you ready to bring a HBCyoU Doll home for Christmas? The dolls are sold in major retailers such as Target, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Amazon, retailing between $20-$60.00.
Photo Credit(s)/Featured Image: HBCyoU Doll Instagram
