Meet the New American Doll

American Girl will celebrate 30 years of teaching young children about important moments in history in a fun and interactive way with a new Civil Rights era doll. When designing the doll and her story, the company formed a six-panel advisory board, including the late civil rights activist Julian Bond.

American Girl unveiled the doll in interviews with CBS Monday.

As with all American Girl dolls, Melody’s story is told in book form. In the past, the company has released two African-American dolls: including Addy, a young girl in 1864 who escapes slavery and promotes freedom, as well as Cecil, a 19th-century girl living in New Orleans, who was discontinued in 2014. Now, the new Melody doll give girls and boys of color another option when choosing a doll that gives them a window into the country’s past and the African-American experience.

According to the American Girl website, Melody’s story brings together Motown music and civil rights history.

Melody will be the first American Girl doll from the civil rights era.

She won’t come cheap though, with the doll and accompanying paperback book selling for a cool $150. “We’re not looking to address critical demand, we’re looking to tell stories in the most authentic and genuine way that we possibly can”.

American Girl’s senior historian Mark Speltz helped develop Melody’s narrative.

This summer, American Girl is addressing another chapter of black history with the release of Melody Ellison.

That panel was consulted numerous times while narrowing down the exact look and feel of the doll, especially her hair to make sure it had the correct texture. So far, over 50,000 have signed on.

Julia says “while it’s easy to call us a doll company, we’ve always seen ourselves as storytellers”, adding that it is a commitment to telling a story that just might make Melody one of the company’s most popular dolls ever – because she has a powerful and timely story to tell. Accessories include a bed and a recording studio.