Some notes on dolls for Black women in Maputo

This essay is about the role played by dolls in the formation of subjectivity of Mozambican black women. Bearing in mind that the toy industry delivers a large production of white and blond dolls to children from diverse ethnic groups, we address the following issues: What is the role dolls play in the life of a child? How do they interfere in the way girls relate with their own bodies and their hair? What are the consequences to the subjectivity of a black girl of having solely white blond dolls to play with? Would this toy be, among other things, a factor in creation of racial distinctions? We will discuss childhood from the perspective of adult women. This essay is hence a retrospective study based on stories and reminiscences of women who played with dolls in their childhood.

Keywords:
Dolls; Black Women; "Race"