Many African American female celebrities have been very vocal about embracing the skin that they are in. From Kelly Rowland to Brandy, celebrities have championed and praised their dark skin and have encouraged others to do the same. But it takes more than just the celebrities to give brown skinned girls the boost of positive reinforcement that they need to see on a regular basis.

Sheri Crawley, founder of the “Pretty Brown Girl Movement” recognized that need for role models, not just on a celebrity level but in her own back yard. Crawley began to notice the changes that her daughter, Laila, was going through at school, feeling isolated and longing to be like her Caucasian counterparts with long blond hair. Crawley and her husband, Corey, took note of their daughter’s behavior and started thinking of innovative ways to deal with the situation. Crawley was watching a four part series from CNN on an infamous1940s doll test. In the test, it was discovered that most children had a bias against brown-skinned dolls.

The couple decided that it was time to change that statistic and in 2010, they came up with “Pretty Brown Girl”, which is a line of brown colored dolls. The dolls have become so popular that now the Crawleys have launched the “Pretty Brown Girl Movement” as well as a Foundation of the same name. The Foundation offers various workshops and events that center on helping brown-skinned girls recognize and appreciate who they are.

Today, there are several churches, schools, and groups that use the “Pretty Brown Girl” products and platform to teach self-worth. According to their website, The “Pretty Brown Girl” overall mission is “to encourage girls to celebrate the beautiful shades of brown skin all over the world while inspiring positive self-esteem and confidence. Our approach is to provide an engaging platform for the subtext that most girls of color live within throughout their lives. This subtext often effects their world view, careers, life choices, and relationships with others as they mature into adults.”

Asa Lovechild is an accomplished actress and singer out of New York City and a supporter of One Billion Rising

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