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Another Black female trailblazer has been honored by Barbie. On Wednesday, Mattel debuted a doll in the likeness of Madam C.J. Walker.

Walker, whose real name is Sarah Breedlove, was born in 1867 to formerly enslaved parents but by the turn of the century, became the first documented self-made female millionaire in the nation’s history, and revolutionized the Black haircare industry.

Lisa McKnight, Mattel’s executive vice president and global head of Barbie and dolls, said, “As a pioneer in entrepreneurship, philanthropy and activism, creating the blueprint for the self-made American businesswoman and innovators of the twentieth century, Madam C.J. Walker is an embodiment of our Barbie Inspiring Women series.”

[CLICK HERE to order Barbie Dolls from the series.]

A post on the official Barbie Facebook page read,

“Don’t wait for opportunities to come – make them.

“Barbie is proud to introduce Madam CJ Walker as the newest doll in the Inspiring Women line. With a sharp instinct and unflinching determination, Madam Walker was the nation’s first self-made female millionaire, creating a business that pioneered modern Black haircare.

“Born to sharecropper parents who had been formerly enslaved, she set the blueprint for the American businesswoman, and tirelessly supported civil rights organizations and philanthropies as her enterprise grew.

“With role models like Madam CJ Walker, girls can see that their imaginations are only the beginning to what they can achieve. #YouCanBeAnything”

 

Walker is the latest icon to be included in the Barbie Inspiring Women series, which has previously honored Dr. Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, Ella Fitzgerald, mathematician Katherine Johnson and more.

What a group of amazing women!

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