The Black baby doll named Nancy was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame this past Thursday. Others inducted as well were Sidewalk Chalk by Crayola and Jenga.
What We Know:
- Baby Nancy is the first black baby doll to have an afro and was the inaugural doll for Shindana Toys, a California company launched in 1968 by Operation Bootstrap Inc. This company was the not-for-profit Black community self-help organization that emerged in the aftermath of the Watts riots in Los Angeles, according to NBC news.
- The National Toy Hall of Fame is located in The Strong Museum in Rochester, New York. These toys were chosen by a panel of experts from among 12 finalists that also included bingo, Breyer Horses, Lite-Brite, Masters of the Universe, My Little Pony, Risk, Sorry!, Tamagotchi, and Yahtzee.
- By Thanksgiving, Baby Nancy was the bestselling Black doll in Los Angeles, and before Christmas, she was selling nationwide. She has always stood as the landmark doll no matter the circumstances of the company itself.
- Other toys like the sidewalk chalk and Jenga were also inducted. Chief curator Christopher Bensch said on US News, “There are few limits to what kids can do with chalk. Every sidewalk square, patio, and driveway holds the potential for a work of art, a winning game of strategy and cleverness, or a demonstration of physical agility, poise, and balance”. The creator of Jenga, Leslie Scott, was honored for creating such a simple game that anyone can play. Players carefully remove blocks until one person causes it to collapse.
- All three of these toys will be on display at the National Toy Hall of Fame next to Barbie and the Hula Hoop. They have been inducting toys every year since 1998 and are always accepting nominations year-round.
These three toys were created for children and they have really shined. Even though they were created long ago, they are still enjoyed by many others today.
