Mattel is honoring the legacy of Maya Angelou by creating a new Barbie doll modeled after the American poet, author and civil rights activist, The Hill reported.
The doll was released Jan. 14 – just ahead of Black History Month – as a “celebration of Dr. Maya Angelou’s extraordinary life and work,” according to The Hill.
The Angelou doll is the latest addition to the Barbie Inspiring Women series, a collection of nine other dolls released by Mattel that “pays tribute to incredible heroines of their time,” according to the company’s website. The series celebrates courageous and inspiring female role models such as woman’s suffrage activist Susan B. Anthony and the first female astronaut, Sally Ride. The Angelou doll is the tenth role model to join the collection, Mattel said. (RELATED: Mattel Releases Susan B. Anthony Barbie Doll For Suffragette’s 200th Birthday)
Maya Angelou made history as the first African American and female poet to speak at a U.S. presidential inauguration in 1993. Dr. Angelou was also the recipient of over 50 honorary doctorates, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a National Book Award nomination for her 1970 autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Mattel noted.
The doll features a head wrap and dress in a traditional floral pattern, a golden ring, bracelet, watch, and earrings, in addition to a miniature replica of Angelou’s book “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,” according to the Mattel website.
The doll debuts for $29.99 and there is a limit of two dolls per customer. Despite this limit, the doll is already sold out online due to “high demand,” said the website.