BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — “I love sharing my dolls. I’ve been a doll lover my whole life,” declared Lisa Jacobs-Watson, doll curator & collector.
Doll Curator Lisa Jacobs-Watson tells me she's honored to share a small portion of her much larger doll collection, featuring Black and Brown dolls in honor of Black History Month, now on display at the Central Library in downtown Buffalo.
“As an African American woman, being able to push — healthy self-esteem and push self-love is very important,” remarked Jacobs-Watson.
These dolls are here to symbolize individualism and acceptance.
“Beauty is diverse and that once we see beauty in ourselves and see beauty in others, then we can unify. Understand that options are there, and opportunities are there for us to just embrace what beauty means to each of us and respect what it means in each,” reflected Jacobs-Watson.
The Black Doll exhibit is quickly attracting attention from the public.
“What do you think about the Black Doll exhibit here at the library?” Buckley asked. “I think it is beautiful. When I looked and seen them, I just stared,” replied Jackie Lewis of Buffalo.
"Gorgeous. This is absolutely beautiful,” responded Lia Wieclaw.
Wieclaw, from North Tonawanda, was even moved to tears as she reflected on a deeper meaning for our black and brown community.
“What is the meaning for you for Black History? What do you learn from it?” Buckley questioned. “I feel their pain, as a white woman."
“I think it serves a good purpose for Black History. It's moving a step forward from what the past has served,” Lashawn Prichett noted.
“It means a lot — it means that we are stepping ahead, a little bit,” Lewis said.
Among the black doll exhibit, “Career Queens”, showcases the many careers a young woman could pursue.
“Just motivating young people, young girls, to embrace self-esteem, to decide what they want to be when they grow up or as I put it, what kind of boss they want to be,” Jacobs-Watson described. “My hope is that they would find an interest, a hobby, a career that they're interested in, that they would play and use their imaginations to benefit who they want to become and tell their parents, and kind of, as we would say in ‘Toyland’ — live happily ever after.”
“Hopefully, it's gonna bring a better and a more wider and realistic model, a lot of more Black people think different things are being respected and accepted,” Pritchett commented.
Pritchett told me he was very happy to see this display.
“Hoping to see some Black Ken dolls. I might donate some dreads,” laughed Pritchett.
But there was at least one Black Ken doll in this collection that will be on display at the downtown library now through April 9.
This year’s Black Doll exhibit theme is Recognizing Royalty.
“It's kind of a tribute if you will to our royal heritage, our African heritage, kingship and queenship, and all of the lovely things that come with playing princess and becoming a queen and ultimately embracing the idea of being treated like a queen,” stated Jacobs-Watson.
