Dear Jamie Cygielman, CEO of American Girl Doll.

I am inviting you to meet with me, doll collector, focus group administrator, and Muslim American advocate of diversity and inclusion issues. I invite you to explore a day in the life of a Muslim American Girl in America; and, I ask you to create a Muslim American Girl doll.

Will you accept my invitation to meet?

Thank you.

Yasmina Blackburn, Chicago, IL

Diversity and inclusion initiatives are on the radar of organizations and for good reason(s). Minority populations will eclipse the majority by the year 2050 according to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. The commitment is grounded on the basis that diversity and inclusion matters are “not just a competitive issue but a societal issue,” and, they’ve created the I Act On Pledge for CEOs or other individuals to take. Mattel’s CEO, Ynon Kreiz, the parent company of American Girl, has taken the pledge.

Corporations understand that diversity is paramount to growth and innovation and that the behaviors they model seep into society. We need corporations to be stewards of diversity and inclusion initiatives now more than ever. Corporations not only have a very real opportunity to affect societal change, society demands it. Customers and partners demand it. We must model to the world the society we envision for humanity. This is deeper and wider than charitable efforts of altruism that are well-meaning but primarily provide marketing fodder for the company’s Instagram account. They are the intangibles of embracing true acceptance of the human condition on the global stage.

The current climate of division and racial tensions actually makes going to work a respite at times. Going to work knowing that your organization’s diversity policies provide a protective bubble from islamophobic, homophobic, xenophobic rhetoric is a proof statement of the power of corporations modeling the best in human behavior.

Business has the transformative power to change and contribute to a more open, diverse and inclusive society. We can only accomplish this by starting from within our organizations. Many of us know intuitively that diversity is good for business. The case for establishing a truly diverse workforce, at all organizational levels, grows more compelling each year. The moral argument is weighty enough, but the financial impact – as proven by multiple studies – makes this a no-brainer. The business case for diversity in the workplace is now overwhelming by: Vijay Eswaran, Executive Chairman, QI Group of Companies, April 29. 2019 | World Economic Forum, a not-for-profit organization whose activities “… are shaped by a unique institutional culture founded on the stakeholder theory, which asserts that an organization is accountable to all parts of society. “

Corporate executives, I appeal to you. You play a part in healing and advancing our American culture. American Girl brand has a huge impact on society with dolls, dolls that are in the likeness of little boys and girls. Fast facts from the American Girl website quantify this impact:

More than 157 million American Girl® books have been sold since 1986.

have been sold since 1986. Over 32 million American Girl® dolls have been sold through the company’s catalogue, retail stores, and website since 1986.

have been sold through the company’s catalogue, retail stores, and website since 1986. The American Girl catalogue is the largest consumer toy catalogue and ranks as one of the top 30 consumer catalogues in the country.

I am part of the doll collecting community, running my own doll diversity group on social media. American Girl has listened to customers, making changes regarding quality and product availability. American Girl has increased their dolls of color (doc) selection in the Truly Me™ line and did release a Girl of the Year™ doll of color as well. And they offer a Create Your Own™ (CYO) line where you can choose the skin tone, hair, etc. The CYO line is popular but also cost-prohibitive for the average buyer and does not address the need for overt inclusion of underrepresented groups, or the unrepresented Muslim American community.

Instagram has an #AGIG community, American Girl doll enthusiasts, collectors, photographers, crafters and more. September featured the grassroots #DOC2019 movement. Customers from around the country and the globe shared photos of their dolls of color with the hashtag to encourage developing doll lines that are more reflective of our society. It serves as inspiration for me once again to advocate for a Muslim American Girl doll. Ten years ago, I wrote a letter to the then President of American Girl requesting Muslim American representation in their doll line. I received a response letter where I was turned down. I challenge American Girl and Mattel to continue to push ahead for the betterment of society and to continue efforts that reflect their own doll diversity values. From the American Girl website:

American Girl is proud to feature one of the most inclusive and diverse selections of dolls today. From the beginning, our goal has been to create dolls and stories that act as both mirrors and windows—giving girls an opportunity to see a direct reflection of themselves or a chance to learn about a life or culture that may be very different from their own.

I have prepared a video invitation <—- (link here and embedded down below) regarding my request for American Girl to create a Muslim American girl doll. In it, I read an excerpt from the letter I received ten years ago from the former President of American Girl, turning down my request for a Muslim American Girl doll. I am back again and still advocating. There is strength in both customers and corporations working together to influence society for the better. And there is no better time to focus on diversity and inclusion than right now.

My podcast is also available on SoundCloud.

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