Co-Workers Who Think AG is Racist..... Need Help!

**moderator** · March 22nd, 2006, 05:59 PM

Welcome to the board--and congratulations on your new job!

My main comment to people who are speaking from an uneducated standpoint is: Check it out first, then comment. If the people you are speaking to have never read Addy's books, they have no right to complain or pass judgment on her character or the company.

I don't think YOU should have to go through all this work in order to convince people who are speaking from an uneducated standpoint.

Ironically, slavery in the United States began with white people (non-English people at the time were considered non-whites). My five-greats grandfather came over here as a Scottish slave. White slaves (called indentured servants) cost more money--and they wanted to be free from bondage after a certain amount of years. As they began to cost more, people wanted a cheaper form of labor. This led to black slavery. As whites began to become guilty for the practice of owning black slaves, they came up with racist beliefs. You can read about the Missouri Debates for more information on this topic. This is to point out, however, that slavery is not necessarily limited in any way, shape, or form, to race. Slavery was invented first: racism came out of it. In some places in Africa, slavery still exists, and the slaveowners and slaves are all black. Slavery is horrible and abominable, and sadly it still exists to this day. Isn't it good to educate people, beginning when they're very young, so we can stop this type of thing from happening?

I wish you luck and hope all goes okay. [img]smile.gif[/img] Either way, enjoy your new job!

[ March 22, 2006 02:03 PM: Message edited by: Melissa ]

prasnlrd · March 22nd, 2006, 06:16 PM

Originally posted by FelinaDoon:
I think Praslrd is the best choice to help with this.....

...uh actually I am not. I do hope everyone here on this board knows that I am a "Loving" AG collector first and not the "AA/Black" AG Collector.

I am on this board for the love of my dollies only. I am not here to talk OT on delicate issues like this.

There are three things I do not talk about and/or stay away in a public forum or debating; Race, Religion, and Politics.

Yes, I am prasnlrd. That is my life, but I am just me and not out to try to change or debate that with anyone. I am here for the dollies, only.

[img]graemlins/island.gif[/img] [img]biggrin.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/island.gif[/img]

GreyMyst · March 22nd, 2006, 06:29 PM

Originally posted by JenniferRobin:
As for your second question, about another significant event in American history involving a young African-American girl, the only one that even comes to mind right now is Rosa Parks, and I don't remember exactly how old she was, but ithink it was a little younger than 9.

She was a woman, not a girl. She was born February 4, 1913, and when arrested in 1955 she was 42 years old.

**judiaci** · March 22nd, 2006, 06:44 PM

Originally posted by prasnlrd:
I am on this board for the love of my dollies only. I am not here to talk OT on delicate issues like this.

There are three things I do not talk about and/or stay away in a public forum or debating; Race, Religion, and Politics.

Yes, I am prasnlrd. That is my life, but I am just me and not out to try to change or debate that with anyone. I am here for the dollies, only.

[img]graemlins/island.gif[/img] [img]biggrin.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/island.gif[/img]

That seems like a good philosophy to follow, Sheila. Those topics are really beyond the scope of a doll board.

I think that if people really want to tackle the issue of racism in LA, they could find a much better target than American Girl.

Look at how American Girl Dolls have brought us all together. We are many races, ages, income levels, religions, etc. American Girl and our love for these dolls has been a very uniting force, if we are any example.

**moderator** · March 22nd, 2006, 06:49 PM

One thing I forgot to mention--you said your co-workers think the Addy doll is a slave doll. As others have mentioned here, only her first book is partly about her time as a slave. But Addy the doll is meant to represent only her post-slavery life. Her very first/"meet" dress is the one she gets after escaping from slavery, so the doll itself represents someone who is not a slave.

If your coworkers read Addy's books, they'll see what a positive character and role model she is for all girls. [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]

JenniferRobin · March 22nd, 2006, 06:53 PM

Originally posted by GreyMyst:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by JenniferRobin:
As for your second question, about another significant event in American history involving a young African-American girl, the only one that even comes to mind right now is Rosa Parks, and I don't remember exactly how old she was, but ithink it was a little younger than 9.

She was a woman, not a girl. She was born February 4, 1913, and when arrested in 1955 she was 42 years old.<hr /></blockquote>I stand corrected, and terribly embarrassed to boot! Please forgive my ignorance; literature, not history, is my strong suit. I was mixing her up with those little kids, and in particular, that one adorable little girl, who were the first AA kids to be integrated into a white school in the south. An event where a group known as the "Cheerleaders" were involved. John Steinbeck referred to it in his journals as a horrific event, watching those poor darlings getting heckled as they arrived for their first day of school.
I'd like to applaud prasnlrd for her position on this board, and agree that while this is a passionate subject, this is a dollie board!
I admire the OP for standing up to the challenge she has been presented with, but think that ultimately it is up to American Girl/Mattel to defend their position against potential protesters, and unreasonable of the antagonists to attack her personally.

**American_Mommy** · March 22nd, 2006, 07:21 PM

There are three things I do not talk about and/or stay away in a public forum or debating; Race, Religion, and Politics.



That seems like a good philosophy to follow, Sheila. Those topics are really beyond the scope of a doll board.



I agree. In the spirit of that line of thought, I am going to delete my original reply to this post, and PM it to the person who started the thread. [img]graemlins/rose.gif[/img]

I*love*dolls · March 22nd, 2006, 07:29 PM

Ugh! People can be so cruel!!! You a racist? Yeah right!

If you bought a girl a doll who was slave it would teach her that owning slaves is BAD. That racism is BAD. That everybody of every color is equal. THAT is what you are telling your child. That little girls like you had to go through this horrible time just because she had dark skin. That racism is a BAD thing.

If AG made a white doll with slaves that would be telling children the opposite of what I just said.

Sorry for your bad day!