Rodney Allen Rippy
Rodney is a child actor who appeared in TV commercials for the fast-food chain Jack in the Box in the early 1970s, as well as in numerous roles in television and movies.
Black Dinah-Mite
DINAH-MITE!
Often neglected by collectors, Dinah-Mite was Mego’s answer to Barbie as AJ was to GI Joe. Her advertising featured her as an incredibly poseable doll who “sits and stands”; an overt shot at Barbie, who famously cannot “stand on her own”.
The New Look of Black Barbie
The new line of darker-skinned Barbie BFFs may be a vast improvement over Mattel’s notorious “Colored Francie” of the 1960′s or the inexplicable “Oreo Fun Barbie” of 1997, but they’re still not quite Michelle Obama.
Operation Bootstrap
Shindana Toys, a division of Operation Bootstrap, Inc., was a South Central Los Angeles, California cooperative toy company formed in 1968, one of many Operation Bootstrap initiatives undertaken following the 1965 Watts riots. Company proceeds supported businesses in the Watts area.
Black Like Me
This is one of the most important and significant times in Black History. To celebrate the election of a Black man as the 44th President of the United States, as well as the many achievements of Black Americans, I have selected a few of my favorite historical figures from the Museum collection to profile.
