As social justice and diversity become a priority in our culture, the products and symbols around us are evolving. Specifically, dolls geared toward young girls, which are infamous for portraying a singular and unattainable image of beauty and stressing appearance over character, are becoming much more diverse. Recently, both Barbie and American Girl have released new dolls that celebrate all kinds of girls and their differences.

For its 30th anniversary, American Girl recently released Melody Ellison, a 9-year-old girl who lives during the Civil Rights era in 1960s Detroit. She sings for her church choir, wears an equal rights button and is inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Melody doll has been two years in the making, and she is the third black American Girl doll. Set to reach stores in the summer, she comes with accessories, including her own bed and a studio that plays Motown music.

Each American Girl has her own novel, and the 232 page "No Ordinary Sound: A Melody Classic" is already on sale. It takes place during the 1960s and explicitly discusses racism and the struggles for equality. In its description, Melody earns a solo for her church choir, but “an unimaginable tragedy in the South [leaves] Melody silent.” It doesn’t ignore real prejudices and it doesn’t sugar coat history for young girls.

Everyone learns about the Civil Rights movement in school, but it can seem detached when you only learn about the larger concepts and learn facts about influential figures. On the other hand, many young girls identify with American Girls and can feel connected to their stories. In this way, Melody will teach young girls about their history in a way they will understand and care about. Melody has a personal story, one that young girls will remember, and she shows that “ordinary Americans” and ordinary girls can work hard and influence the world like great figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Visibility is extremely important, and it is extremely important that young girls have role models they can identify with. It validates their existence and their culture. Social learning is especially prevalent when individuals are young and still developing, and toys are one of the many ways young people learn the roles to take on and what types of expression are acceptable.

Julia Probaska, the senior director of the global brand at American Girl, says, “I think the doll industry has a very heavy responsibility in reflecting what is true about our society.” American Girl calls itself a storyteller rather than a doll company, but they take their craft seriously. Melody took two years, and the company even consulted with a panel to ensure her hair was authentic. Melody is only the third black American Girl out of over 20 dolls, but hopefully American Girl continues to create more dolls from a variety of cultures and histories, and continues to tell their stories.