Check Out The Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) “Black” Barbie Doll
Monday, July 14th, 2008, 1:11 pm
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…
July 14th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
THAT LOOKS WHITE…
July 14th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
THEY REALLY COULD HAVE MADE HER 2 SHADES DARKER
July 14th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
little Black girls need black dolls to play with…..If I had kids I would get them one of these…
July 14th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I think the color of the doll is fine…not everyone is blue black!!
July 14th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
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!
July 14th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
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.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
they shudve added some kink up in there…it wudve really looked official
July 14th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Really, Anonymous? Official in who’s eyes? I don’t know one single AKA who has complained.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Congrads to the AKA’s, i see you here in DC this week. But in 2014 DC will be shut down!
July 14th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
too light.
nice looking but too light sorry.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I’ll die laughing if she got an ass like Buffie The Body.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
just like aka’s. think they are white. Ken will be white too smh
July 14th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
$50 for a barbie doll? I guess they dont want any kids to play with it.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
^ Not really for the kids. This one is clearly a collectors item and will appreciate in value with age, like a True AKA!
July 14th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Of course AKA’S wouldn’t complain if the barbie mirrors you guys no pun intended…we all know about the paper bag initiation
July 14th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
she looks beautiful, and she aint white!
July 14th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Congrats Sorors. Welcome to the Century Club!
06-08!
July 14th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
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.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Maybe they will make a Ken one and he can be a MIAKA! lol
July 14th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
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.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
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?”
July 14th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
a mess… fuck all that NONSENSE.
July 15th, 2008 at 4:52 am
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.
July 15th, 2008 at 8:59 am
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!
July 15th, 2008 at 9:27 am
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.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Skeeeeee- Weeeeeee….
July 15th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
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…
July 15th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
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…
July 21st, 2008 at 3:58 pm
“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!
July 21st, 2008 at 8:55 pm
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.
July 22nd, 2008 at 10:51 pm
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.
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:57 pm
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.