Representation in Toys, and Why it Matters to us.

I moved to New York City in my early twenties. As a born and bred midwesterner, the change of pace and the idiosyncrasies of big city life were a shock, but I loved it. After a couple of years I knew I would be there for a while, and I didn’t leave until I turned 40. 

I used to joke that the reason I felt so at home in NYC was because I watched a lot of Sesame Street as a child. As with all jokes, there was a grain of truth: Sesame Street was a cultural touchstone for me, a way to look at the larger world and see it for all its beauty. The playground scenes filled with kids of different races and backgrounds resonated with me in a way that I can’t explain. I saw myself in those kids, I wished I could be there with them.

Now I work in an industry that is tasked with bringing joy to children. I’ve been in the toy business for a little over a year now, and I’m enjoying my time working with families and children and in many cases the companies that make things for them. I went to my first toy convention about three months after taking over Alakazam. One of the things I noticed was how few people of color were in that room of thousands. Not only that, but that prevailing whiteness seeped into the products and marketing. When we found a line showcasing diversity, we were delighted, and would express that to the makers. Sometimes that was met with pride, and sometimes we were dismissed. I always noticed the dismissiveness, or the eyes averted. I’ve had salespeople urge me not to buy “that” doll because it’s too dark. (I bought the doll, and it’s one of our best sellers. Children are drawn to her because she’s beautiful. I don’t work with that salesperson anymore.)

I recently heard this excellent podcast by Azhelle Wade. She’s a black woman who has worked in the toy industry for a long time. As a designer, she has some important things to say about why there’s not more diversity in the toy industry. The lack of diversity in toys means so much to children of color. I hear often from parents that they want a doll that looks like their child. I have bought those dolls myself, for my own children. White parents, imagine what it must feel like to struggle to find a doll that looks like you. Imagine what it must feel like for a child of color to walk into a place that is supposed to be for them, and to find themselves immediately excluded. When we don’t make an effort to represent all children, we are doing all children a disservice. We aren’t doing our jobs as parents if we don’t expose our children to the world. Not just their world, but the world at large. 

So, what can we do about it? I think about this all the time. We can certainly use our buy to show demand. We can encourage and show our appreciation when we find a diverse line of products or marketing (because it’s not just the toy itself, it’s also about the picture on the box.) Conversely, we can push lines to diversify their offerings, and express displeasure when those options aren’t available. We can carry books that aren’t just “teaching books” but books where the main characters just happen to be people of color, or happen to be LGBTQIA, or happen to have a disability. We can use our influence to make sure that children can not only self-identify in our store, but they can see the beauty of the diverse world around them. We understand where we have to go, and we are actively listening and learning all the time. We see this as investing in the long game, and we know we have a lot of work to do.

This week we are introducing a guest blog series. I want to showcase some of the amazing thinkers and do-ers here in town. Some are parents, some work with children (maybe some of the writers could be kids! Wouldn’t that be awesome??). Not everything will be about diversity and representation, mostly I wanted a place where we could discuss themes in and around raising kids, sometimes specifically here in Charlottesville. But I wanted to begin by telling you who we are, what we believe in, and why because it’s at the core of what we do here at Alakazam. 

As always, we are grateful for your support. Thank you for giving us the chance to serve you and for being a part of the Alakazam community. And if you are interested in being featured here, let us know! We always love to hear from you.

Abundant high fives coming your way,

Ellen + Alakazam