The oldest recognized black sorority which was founded at Howard University just celebrated their 100th Anniversary by unveiling this new Barbie doll in their colors – pink and green – which will go on sale for $50 bucks. Barbara A. McKinzie, the sorority’s international president says, “What a wonderful idea to take a known icon in our society and have the doll look like us…It’s a way of educating the issue.”
What about Ken?? This could get VERY interesting…
{ 64 comments… read them below or add one }
THAT LOOKS WHITE…
THEY REALLY COULD HAVE MADE HER 2 SHADES DARKER
little Black girls need black dolls to play with…..If I had kids I would get them one of these…
I think the color of the doll is fine…not everyone is blue black!!
Its people like you that feed into the stereotype Im not Blue black or whatever you say but I aint light- the doll is fine but your comment is trash
Skee Wee, My Sorors. Skee Wee
Skeeeeee- Weeeeeee!
S-K-Double E – W Double E
Skee Wee, My Sorors. Skee Wee
Skeeeeee- Weeeeeee!
A-L-P-H-A
K-A-P-P-A
A-L-P-H-A
Whooo those AKA’s
An Ahhka is what a Delta ain’t
What a Zeta couldn’t
What a SGRho can’t
What the Kappas like
What the Ques loves
What APhiA can’t get enough of us
S-K-Double E – W Double E
Skee Wee, My Sorors Skee Wee
Skeeeeee- Weeeeeee!
Your just ignorant. Sororities are to uplift the black community not bring them down.
She DOES NOT look white. She looks like a light brown African-American and has more of “our” features than the Black Barbies from earlier which were just the same doll colored brown. As an 18 year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, I think the doll is representative of who we are.
they shudve added some kink up in there…it wudve really looked official
Really, Anonymous? Official in who’s eyes? I don’t know one single AKA who has complained.
Congrads to the AKA’s, i see you here in DC this week. But in 2014 DC will be shut down!
too light.
nice looking but too light sorry.
I’ll die laughing if she got an ass like Buffie The Body.
just like aka’s. think they are white. Ken will be white too smh
$50 for a barbie doll? I guess they dont want any kids to play with it.
^ Not really for the kids. This one is clearly a collectors item and will appreciate in value with age, like a True AKA!
Of course AKA’S wouldn’t complain if the barbie mirrors you guys no pun intended…we all know about the paper bag initiation
.
The legend of the existence of so-called ‘Brown Paper Bag’
Tests; ‘Blue Vein’ Societies; ‘Fine-Toothed Comb’ Tests; etc.
– have been PROVEN by multiple historians to have been
(very much like the infamous so-called ‘Willie Lynch Letter /
Speech’ HOAX and the myth of a Light-Skin ‘House’ / Dark-Skin
‘Field’ chattel=slave “hierarchy) nothing more than a series of
‘Urban Myths’ and ‘Urban Legends’ created in order to incite
unmerited hostility toward people of Multiracial Lineage.
Write to me at soaptalk@hotmail.com and I can provide you
to bibliography, links and other sources which prove that
that these urban myths and legends are unfair and true.
.
she looks beautiful, and she aint white!
Congrats Sorors. Welcome to the Century Club!
06-08!
From what I am led to believe, and with an unofficial litmus test, that doll is an accurate depiction of AKAs. And I agree, the doll looks like a Sista, just look at her nose. Back in the day, the doll looked like white Barbie with a deep deep tan, this doll looks like Rene Bruce of the Colby-Bruces in old Marietta GAAWWJah.
And if you ACT FAST, you can receive the Yung Berg, Anti-Black Butt edition Barbie. It comes complete w/his wood selling album and all its popular – HIT! There’s a Ray J, I need your help, autographed (in 100% “red” Crayola crayon) picture AND a limited edition, specially numbered APOLOGY to “all de womens of de world!” personally signed by YB. ACT NOW and its yours for the low low price of 10 easy installments of $9.99!
Operators are standing by.
Maybe they will make a Ken one and he can be a MIAKA! lol
So, Anonymous, now we think we are white. I am sorry some AKA hurt your feelings, but in saying someone thinks they are white means they are trying not to be Black. The tragedy in you saying that, is that you believe there is one definition or experience that defines Black. I am a proud AKA from an HBCU, so is my mother, grandmother, and many aunts and cousins. Please don’t diminish who we are by saying we think we are white. In order to be a member, you must be interested in advancing the cause of Black women. Now if we do it while swinging our long hair with our noses in the air, it doesn’t mean we are less Black and it certainly doesn’t mean we think we are white.
A black sorority image is represented by a doll with eurocentric beauty ideals? lol Wow.. shows me the state of mind of these “educated” women.. lol. What Ken will be replaced with a “Tom?”
a mess… fuck all that NONSENSE.
CONGRATULATIONS to the AKAs. I think they did a pretty good job on the doll and she looks just fine, black people come in different shades and she’s one of them….
With that said, it’s not a secret that the Aka sorority started out with a brown paper bag test so lets not front and MAYBE they are trying to change that HOWEVER I don’t see much proof of that when I visit different campuses. You’re vast majority the stereotype or very light skin and “long” hair.
Congrats to the AKA’s! Why do we have to find a problem with everything? Why can’t be happy that our people are progressing?? It doesnt matter if the doll was blue, she is apart of our culture!
Black people might come in different shades but that’s only because there great grandmothers and/or great great grandmothers were raped by white men who had free reign. The doll is self-hate incarnate–green eyes, light skin, long flowing hair… come onnn. She doesn’t have to be pitch black with steel wool hair but when you put all these white features together then just darken the skin a little bit the message is clear. Their worse than some hispanics who are darker than me and say they’re not black.
Pitch Black! Are you serious? Just color struck too huh?
Skeeeeee- Weeeeeee….
You people are crazy…there will never be a doll that can represent what each and every Black woman looks like so get over it! And I am so sorry that you “darker skinned” people have so many issues with your complexion (based on the comments above)…a Black woman should not be ashamed because she may have lighter skin, longer hair, light eyes or European features nor should she be ashamed of darker skin, kinker hair or more “African” features…what I have read on this blog is clearly the reason why we have such issues in our community…
Kinker? You need help!
the doll’s nose and lips are significantly larger than the average barbie doll–black or white. so i wouldn’t go so far as to say that she’s euro-inspired, but given all the accusations against AKA for supposedly preferring lighter skinned blacks over darker skinned blacks, it might’ve been in their best interest to deepen the doll’s color a bit…
“HATERS EVERY WHERE WE GO.” I am back from Washington, DC where AKA celebrated 100 years of service and I see our haters are still in full effect. Skee Wee Soror’s!
I appreciate the tribute made to the AKAs with this doll. I am a member of the lovely sorority, and I am not offended by the complexion of the doll at all. While we have ladies of all complexions, she is a medium of the complexions represented in the sorority. But, I think that it is sad that so many people who are not members of the sorority can only believe the superficial stereotypes associated with our organization, and not be able to look past them.
I absolutely love this doll and can not find where to order 10 for all my soror’s serving in Iraq.
You know its sad that people can’t rejoice that a company is honoring the oldest black sorority. People are clearing demonstrating that plantation mentality running to the master. I thought we as a people were more educated than this. All the folks making the conversation about whitenes you are just some ignorant black folks. My cousin are every complexion with natural green and hazel eyes. So what if their grandmother or grandfather were white. Love us for what we do and not how we look. I love the doll and I thank Mattel for selecting AKA and the soror who designed this doll. Support black business and each other.
You are adults and if you can’t be happy for each other then you have resulted to nothing.
This doll almost seems like it upholds the mainstream standard of beauty. The same standard that says white is right, and Lighter complexions are synonymous with beauty. I’m Going to buy one of these for my wife, however, I think it’s sad that mattel passed up the opportunity to actually make a Black Doll. In spite of what those, who have absolutely no problem with the doll think, this doll reinforces the shallow stereotypes associated with the organization. It also reinforces the flawed american standard that associates darkness with ugliness. It’s almost like a physical manifestation of the rumored paper bag test.
You are so right!!!!!
Hello, Im a dark skinned female and I don’t think there is anything wrong with the doll.SHE IS BLACK and it’s a celebration everyone…. I must agree with the AKA’s stop the hate. Society will never change if we continue to behave in this manner. I’m not in a sorority YET and after reading non sense like this I don’t know if I even want to.. I thought that Most Greek letter organizations was committed to Service and Excellence…. I’m really disappointed in some of these women who suppose to be about sisterhood… You would think that they would be intelligent enough to not respond in a negative way to these comments… I pray that this skin color bull ends…… I’m black and proud and embrace my beauty…. God bless all of you…
Hello Just me,
Do not let stuff like this stop you from becoming a Greek. Every where you go there will issues like this. If you let “non sense” stop you from doin things in your life, then you will not go very far in life. You will run into ALOT of situations that you think is so full of bull, but jobs are like that, relationships are like that, school is like that, EVERYTHING! lol so dont give up on greek life just yet. I am a memeber of a 19 year old member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., light skinned and long haired…i get tired of people telling me i should have become an AKA because of my appearance. and i have people ALWAYS telling me i should have been an AKA, but i BLEED blue, i love my sorority and i wouldnt change it for the world!!! but you need to research and observe. you will get no where in life by letting people tell you what you should and shouldnt not be. look around, go to informational meetings, ask people why they choose this organization, attend an fundamental event given by each sorority and #1 ignore stereotypes….and you will be happy with what you chose because you chose it with your heart. hope this helps love and GOOD LUCK
p.s. feel free to email me if you like, im always willing to help. =)
sorry its ltwarren7@yahoo.com
I am a dark complected member of this organization and I have to disagree with most of you. First off, I know that if the doll was darker, I would hear people complaining about how that’s now how the AKAs THEY know look like. I also know that my sorority consists of ladies of all complexions, all shapes, and sizes. We are not a social sorority. We are here to provide service to ALL mankind. For the man who says that this doll symbolizes societies belief that darker completed women are “ugly”. Do I see this barbie coming along with a ugly darker, barbie doll? This seems to be an insecurity within yourselves. I’m well aware that every sorority has a history, but 101 years later our sorority is still standing strong, despite the slander and the hate. Perhaps you all should give up. Non-Greeks always have something to say about Greek organizations! ALWAYS! Why is that? Were you rejected? Or were you still as insecure as you were today? I don’t look at your myspace, listen to rumors and judge you and your family. Perhaps you shouldn’t do it to mine. I digress. SKEE WEE my sorors! SKEE WEE!
PS. Recall, the nation’s first lady is now an HONORARY member of the sorority, and she is a beautiful chAKAlate sistah!
Only because she is married to the President. Honorary Means NOTHING!
WOW! Even you are color struck! Calling yourself dark pearl! They probably degraded you on line ,too!
“Non-Greeks always have something to say about Greek organizations! ALWAYS! Why is that? Were you rejected? Or were you still as insecure as you were today? I don’t look at your myspace, listen to rumors and judge you and your family. Perhaps you shouldn’t do it to mine.”
This comment is very dumb….. How do you know who is a greek or a non-greek. I won’t comment on the rest of your post. I’m surprised you got into college.
You know why we are getting all the negative comments sorors? Because they don’t have a Delta, Sigma or Zeta barbie….Haters!!!! ENVY thy color is pink and green…you wish LOL!!!!
S-K-E-E-
W-E-E
1908!!!!
No you wish!!!!!!!!!
I think the doll is beautiful and they couldn’t have made her better. Ppl who don’t like the doll can simply stop looking at her. Better yet, don’t buy her! HELLOOOO! She is clearly a collection item so of course your children aren’t suppose to play with her. That is the point of it all. There is always something negative being said about everything positive. Please pessimist…GROW UP!!!!
Thank You! I don’t want to buy anything that doesn’t represent me sweetheart!!!!!
We ALL tend to say, for people who is looking to join Greek life, not to go with stereotypes. NOW as we know the AKA stereotype is conceited, light skinned, long hair, (no offense to anyone) so on and so forth. I believe the doll is beautiful and congrats to the AKA’s, but being the first to come out with a doll to portray an AFRICAN AMAERICAN SORORITY it is a tad bit light…lol no offense….and as a 19 year old member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., light skinned and long haired…i get tired of people telling me i should have become an AKA because of my appearance. And to me the doll’s appearance leaves room for more stereotyping and less inward appearance. And to add to the comment about “black’ being seen as ugly, i believe AMERICA can shove it…lol and realize that black is the color we see when we close our eyes at night…that black is wat created this nation and its world…that our CREATOR’s complexion is similar to the avarerage FAIR skinned black person… and we all are aware of the black doll/white doll experiment done a while back with a group of little children…we need to let our children kno that we are beautiful….dark, light, fair, blue-black, purple, white, ‘red’, yellow, green, blue….if we dont then our children will grow to think that white woman or more beautiful then blacks….we need to love and embrace our skin colors, spirits and even our minds and understand that ignorance will continue until ignorance cease to teach our kids….
MzSpaztic #2
Z-PHI!!!! OWT!!
=)
yall just suck it up and get over it. i think shes fine just the way she is. be grateful that they made one especially for us!!
I think the doll is beautiful. Congrats AKAs!!! Im a high school student and ive always dreamed of becoming an AKA. Im darked skinned with good hair. I find no problem with the doll, however, because of the history of the AKA organization, the barbie should have been perhaps a shade darker. Because honestly, although the barbie is black, she look like she could be of another race. As far as some of the AKAs on this page, you shouldnt be so angry with the comments people leave. Your sisters who started the organization are to blame and you should be understanding. As a darked skinned young lady, it is just as insulting to me about my complexion as it is to you all. But congrats to your organization!!!!
The doll is very pretty, but like with some of the people here, I think some of the AKA’s are in it for the letter, like with many of the young women in sororities now. I am currently in a sorority now and I proudly crossed by myself after all my pledge sisters decided that the guys werent cute enough. What happened to the sisterhood? I wanted to becme an AKA when I was a freshman and I went to rush events and everything only to be told that I didnt get a bid because I wasnt “feminine” enough and mind you My grandmother , mother and 4 of my aunts and numerous cousins were members. That hurt like hell. Later my mother had a fit when she had realized why I didnt become apart of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Her being alumni, she went and let them girls have it and contacted majority of the chapters founding mothers. I think from my experience, a lot of them, not all, but most are superfical. By the way, they dont think their white and I wish people would stop saying that cause its disrespectful to my family and their pledge sisters
This comment does not have to do with the original topic. However Amelia just from your word usage I can tell that you are not a member of the Divine 9 organization. NPHC sororities do not have “rush events,” “bids”, “founding mothers.”
What sorority are you apart of?
Maybe she is apart of the one that is not FAKE!!!!!!!
You say that you are in a sorority but you don’t even the say the name? Are you not proud to say which organization that you are in, but mention AKA three times?? Are you really in a sorority? And if your mother and grandmother are members of AKA and were upkeeping their responsiblities that a work of a AKA woman is lifelong, you wouldn’t have had a problem cause you would be considered legacy darling!!
Why are you coming down so hard on her? Her story shows that your sorority is just stank like that. Can you read? You probably think you are all that, and the reality is you aren’t!!!!!!!!
Everything has a purpose. Just be happy for what is done. People spend too much time focusing on the negative they end up not having the energy to do positive.
Congrats to the ladies of AKA
I think the doll is simply lovely! I ran across this site while searching for an organization that hepls young black girls appreciate and love their black beauty.
I am an AKA of 32 years. My complexion is dark chocolate and my hair type is 100% naturally nappy. The university I graduated from did not select pledgees on their looks. There is a lot more involved in the screening process. From the blogs I have read, the negative comments and verbiage, I would say most of the writers lack character. Your character, who you really are plays a major factor in any group you decide to join. Your character even plays a major factor in the type of friends you attract. No organization selects a prospective member without first researching what type of character the person has. The AKA woman is a woman of character. Deep within her soul is a genuinely good person and the the love for all mankind. Therefore the beauty of an AKA woman transcends from deep within and radiates her on the outside. Could this be the reason you think all AKAs are so beautiful? It has nothing to do with her skin complexion or hair type, but who she truly is within her soul.
When Jesus is on the inside, He radiates us on the outside! Skeewee!
She is just fine…We come in all shades, all grades of hair, different shapes and sizes, etc. It would not matter how she was made, someone would always have an issue regardless of how she looked….Let’s not be so petty..
We are all different. Some of us have more white in us than others. Do not believe all that nappy talk. You guys sound just like those prejudice white people. Most true Black people do not have long plastic hair and green eyes! Wake up, fake black America!!!!!!!!!
Um, personally I’m a “darkskinned” girl and feel just as pretty as a “lightskinned” girl….so honestly I think she’s pretty the color she is!
This doll is the future,no longer will white people decide that a ethic doll should be dark an dull looking w/ a nappy fro or kinky curls w/clothes that look like they pickup off the floor an said, “Here use what was left!” Stop complaining about the the complexion of the doll an if it bothers you so; then come up with your OWN design. We as black people come in all range of an ethic look. From a Halle to a Whoopie(LOVE US ALL)
AKA’s …..Whatever, It is all about the Delta’s baby! We are proud of who we are. This doll represents their artificial look and personalities! By the way, Delta’s do not need mirror checks. We are beautiful brown sisters that now we look good. AKA: American Kitchen Association!!!!!!!!