FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Barbie Consultant Launches Her Own Doll 
The Black Doll Affair® Founder Releases the ME Doll,

a Regal Educational Heirloom™ and Artifact Rooted in the Origin of Humanity.   

Atlanta, GA - The Black Doll Affair® (BDA), the philanthropic empowerment organization created as a solution to the Doll Test, in which children identified the Black doll as bad, ugly, and least preferred, and known for elevating the self-esteem experience of Black girlhood and womanhood, announces the release of the ME Doll, a first-of-its-kind educational heirloom™, inspired by Mitochondrial Eve (ME), the African woman from whom all living humans trace their maternal lineage. 

Intended for ages seven and up, the ME Doll is more than a toy, it is a collectible educational artifact. Designed to honor origin, ancestry, and heritage, it is intended to spark meaningful conversations around racism. Conceived by Dana Hill, known as Mama Doll, and co-designed with her sister, Christy, the ME Doll continues a two-decade mission of empowerment.  

Hill, an Association for the Study of African American Life & History ‘Living Legacy” Award Nominee, has quietly shaped some of the most important conversations in the doll industry over the last two decades. Hill advised Mattel to put Barbie in an afro.  That ultimately led to Barbie Fashionista® doll #59, an industry moment and shift in representation. In 2020, her advocacy once again altered the cultural landscape when Mattel asked Hill what should come next for Barbie. In her role as a Barbie consultant, Hill spoke directly to the impact of George Floyd’s murder and asserted that the time had come for Barbie to openly address racism. This advocacy led to the viral video Barbie & Nikki Discuss Racism, a moment that took the world by storm and became front-page news across national newspapers and major broadcast outlets. Today, that same courage and clarity find their fullest expression in the ME Doll. Rooted in the truth of Mitochondrial Eve (the African mother of all humanity), the ME Doll arrives at a moment when history, identity, and empathy are under threat. It asks us to see “ME” not as difference, but as shared origin; not as division, but as connection. In reminding us that we are more alike than we are different, Hill positions the ME Doll as both mirror and message, inviting love, tolerance, and deeper understanding of what it truly means to be human. 

Mitochondrial Eve (ME), the most recent matrilineal ancestor of all living humans, is estimated to have lived in Africa approximately 100-200,000 years ago. Not the only woman alive then, but the only one whose mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) line persisted unbroken to the present day, passed down from mother to child. To deepen this remembrance, the doll is presented as a dollhead, an artistic homage to Omo 1, the ancient Homo sapien cranial remains, (233,000 years old), discovered in Ethiopian volcanic ash. While Mitochondrial Eve represents shared maternal DNA, Omo 1 stands as a physical echo of early humanity - together grounding the ME Doll at the intersection of science, empowerment, art, and culture. 

Limited Edition Educational Heirloom™ 

Each ME Doll is part of a first-run limited edition of 500, individually numbered and personally signed and handmade by Mama Doll. Every doll is painted in a rich dark chocolate finish, affirming  origin and beauty. 

More Than a Doll - A Cultural Statement 

A continuation of The Black Doll Affair’s legacy, ME Doll is designed to move us beyond racism.  

“I embarked upon this journey asking God to design a doll with me,” says Hill. “As a new home designer, my sister Christy brought design expertise to the project that complemented my own and completed the vision. Having just celebrated BDA’s 18th anniversary at a time when so much of our history is being discarded, I was called to create something special for humanity. Imagine if we had been taught that the human race evolved from an African woman. Would racism exist? I don’t think so. It would be nothing more than what it is: a chaotic marketing ploy designed to divide and conquer.”  

The ME Doll is a reminder of who we are, where we come from, and the sacred legacy we carry forward. Now that the first 500 are available, it’s a simple ask: get one of these heirlooms for a classroom, child’s bedroom, coffee table, desk or your vanity, reminding us all, that an African is the mother of humanity. 

For more photos, videos and product details, and or to purchase your first-run limited edition ME Doll, visit blackdollaffair.com.  Follow ME: #iamMEiam

About The Black Doll Affair® 

Recipient of Barack Obama’s Volunteer Service Award, The Black Doll Affair® was founded by Dana “Mama Doll” Hill and is a self-esteem movement whose members are referred to as “the Black Dolls.” Dedicated to empowering Black girls, the organization enjoys a decade-long relationship with Mattel’s Barbie brand and is headquartered in Atlanta. 

Former Governor Sonny Perdue declared The Black Doll Affair Day in Atlanta in recognition of The Black Dolls’ efforts to transform the community. The Black Doll Affair® is a nationally recognized cultural arts organization dedicated to celebrating the Black experience through dolls, education, and storytelling. 

For over 20 years, the organization has worked to affirm identity, restore history, and elevate self-worth through its “Be a Doll, Give a Doll” programming, becoming the largest consumer group of Black Barbie and earning Congressional recognition from the late Congressman John Lewis. 

About Dana Hill  

Having worked with names such as Barbie, Ronald McDonald, and Dan Marino, Dana Hill is a publicist, broadcaster, community activist, and former model who founded The Black Doll Affair in 2007 after witnessing a powerful “Doll Test.” 

Hill’s unwavering commitment to community service has earned her and her organization prestigious honors. Her impactful work in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Atlanta neighborhood was celebrated by members of the King family and affiliated entities. Hill was also nominated for the Living Legacy Award by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), an organization founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History Month. 

Through The Black Doll Affair, Dana Hill continues to inspire change, promote self-esteem, and build bridges within communities across the nation. 

Follow ME doll via the hashtag: iamMEiam.