'This is me': Teacher creates dolls of different skin tones to promote pride in children of color

An early childhood teacher is hoping to to promote pride and self-esteem in children of color by creating handcrafted dolls.

News 12 Staff

Mar 28, 2021, 12:41 PM

Updated 1,369 days ago

Share:

An early childhood teacher is hoping to to promote pride and self-esteem in children of color by creating handcrafted dolls.
Founder of My Kinda Thing Aniqua Wilkerson says she wants to represent all different skin tones in her dolls.
"I remember getting my first brown doll," Wilkerson says. "I said 'Oh my God, this is me.'"
Her dolls come in 12 different shades of brown, and she says she spends hours crocheting to make the dolls look authentic.
Some of her dolls also are made for a cause, like one for essential workers and one in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Wilkerson says her goal is for her work to promote diversity and combat colorism.
"It's important we see things that reflect who we are," Wilkerson says.