Harriet Tubman Empowerment Doll
How much do you know about Harriet Tubman? Or the roles she took on throughout her lifetime? The Harriet Tubman Empowerment Doll enables people to plant a seed that will grow into a beautiful tree of knowledge and inspires admiration of a woman who knew no bounds when it came to freeing her people. This doll will be the first of many in a collection that tells the stories of women who helped pave the way for their ancestors.
WHAT IS AN EMPOWERMENT DOLL?
The Topsy-Turvy Doll concept has existed for generations. In its earliest manifestation, the Topsy-Turvy Doll was seen as an innovative toy where children could have double the fun with one physical doll that possessed two different identities. The concept has taken many forms throughout history, some of the light-hearted examples being fairy tales like Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty. However, other embodiments were constructed with malicious intent, consistent with the United States historically disparaging view on Black people, specifically Black women. On one side the doll would portray a beautiful White woman that its target audience could relate to, while the opposite side would resemble a comical and unattractive being, intentionally designed to be in stark contrast to the poise and allure that the other side conveyed. The figure in question would be a Black doll, created in the stereotypical “mammy” image that Black women were falsely seen to reflect at that time. Years later, the Topsy-Turvy Doll would go through a remodeling of sorts once the “mammy” caricature became largely recognized as distasteful by the general public. Even in light of more modern iterations of the Topsy-Turvy Doll, none of the creations have acknowledged or attempted to rectify the discrimination and humiliation that young Black girls faced through these dolls.
In recent years, an Antiguan brand called Botanique has taken this concept and rewritten it in a way that empowers the same demographic that the “mammy doll” berated through its objectionable design. We understand that representation and portrayal are significant factors that influence how people see themselves and others. This is very apparent when it comes to young girls. The Empowerment Doll is our way of instilling young minds with the belief that they are beautiful, they are smart, they are willful, and that they are enough.
The Harriet Tubman Empowerment Doll is also available for purchase, in-person, at the Water’s Edge Musuem!
About The Doll
From the clothes on her back to the accessories in her hand, each detail of the Harriet Tubman Empowerment Doll alludes to an aspect of the very elaborate life she led.
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This rendition of a Union Army uniform represents her contributions within the Union Army. Such contributions include being a nurse that tended to wounded soldiers, and the guiding of 150 men in a major military operation.
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This represents Spy Harriet. With the help of General David Hunter, Tubman would sneak into enemy lines to gain intel on their next move, as well as recruit enslaved men. She would accomplish this by going undercover as a slave, an act which eventually led to roughly 700 enslaved people becoming free.
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This satchel in particular is a reference to the long-lasting history between the Caribbean and the Chesapeake, stemming from the Intra-American ships that would doc on the Eastern Shore. It also acts as a reminder that despite the geographical differences, Black people from all over share a similar story and have all been impacted by Harriet’s heroic feat.
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A symbol of her innovation. Harriet would use herbs to calm babies so as to not blow their cover on the trail to freedom.
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A reference to her contributions during the Combahee River Raid.
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As many know, Harriet Tubman used the North Star to guide herself to freedom.
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Harriet’s freedom papers.
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A gift from Queen Victoria.