Amaris and Chaya dolls were created when I could not find a suitable doll that was not plastic, easy to play with, and represented my daughter as a black little queen.

As a black woman growing up, I lived a life where I battled with my identity, as I wanted to fit, and not draw too much attention to myself and be just like everyone else. Unfortunately, I did not have toys or dolls that represented me that I played with dolls that looked like me. This messed with my identity, as I believed that I had to look like the white barbies I had and have straight hair.

It is only after having grown up, and educated myself on who I am, as well as being a wife and mother, did I truly appreciate what being a strong black woman is.

I know I cannot clear every obstacle in my children’s lives, however, i do want to provide them with every opportunity, advantage I can, so as to empower them to take pride in who they are, embrace their heritage and colour and know that there is nothing they cannot achieve in this world.

Amaris and Chaya is to be the first step for every little girl, to know that no matter who they are or where they come from, they are represented in the toys they play with and can see themselves as beautiful, relevant, included and important. Black dolls on children’s toy shelves should be the norm because it promotes inclusiveness.

Let’s make sure that we recognize that simply having and playing with a beloved black doll can help a child delight in the celebration of others who are also black. Kids get excited when they can link their play to real-life people.