Mattel Reveals Dr. Maya Angelou Barbie Doll

Mattel Inc. is paying tribute to author, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou with her own Barbie doll as part of the Inspiring Women Series.

The figure of the world-renowned author features her in a floor-length dress donning a matching head wrap, just as Angelou typically wore. The doll is also holding a copy of her legendary autobiography, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. The doll is currently available at Amazon, Target, and on the Mattel website.

“The Maya Angelou Barbie doll is being presented to honor the history and impact of Dr. Maya Angelou’s activism, work, and achievements,” the toymaker said in the doll’s description. “Barbie sculpted to her likeness and dressed in a head wrap and dress with floral print, Maya Angelou Barbie doll features a curvy body and articulation for endless posing possibilities.”

Angelou was one of the world’s most revered Black women. Among her accomplishments, Angelou published seven autobiographies, essays, and several books of poetry. Angelou also received dozens of awards for her work and more than 50 honorary degrees. The author was also personally tapped by former President Bill Clinton to write and recite a poem at his inauguration n 1993.

The Inspiring Women Series by Mattel also celebrates singer Ella Fitzgerald, statistician Florence Nightingale, civil rights activist Rosa Parks, activist Susan B. Anthony, tennis star Billie Jean King, and astronaut Sally Ride.

Every woman in the series has been celebrated and honored for her achievements and efforts to make the world a better place for women.

Oprah Winfrey’s magazine featured the doll on its Twitter page and it’s being celebrated across the platform. Angelou passed away on May 28, 2014 at the age of 86. After her passing, Clinton wrote that Angelou’s “legacy is one that all writers and readers across the world can admire and aspire to.”