Large Toy Manufacturer Likens Black Babies to Monkeys
by Was the comparison playful or racist? As a human mother I don’t like it.
Being pregnant is a scary honor.
I was a teenager when I gave birth to my first child. I had just been discharged from the army in September 1970 for being pregnant. It was an honorable discharge, but I was hundreds of miles away from home, scared and pregnant. I felt abandoned by my country. I knew so little of what life was about, but that tiny baby growing within me motivated me and spurred me on. I would do whatever it took to make a life for my child and myself. I left the service without a job or a home. The next few months were challenging to say the least.
The baby is born.
It was a bitterly cold day in February when I started hemorrhaging. I was terrified as I was just seven months along. I called my doctor and he prescribed some pills to stop the bleeding. I was not old enough to get my prescription, so a friend picked them up for me. I took them as directed but the bleeding did not stop. It was two days later that my friend called an ambulance and I was taken to St. Vincent’s hospital in New York. As I continued to argue with the medical staff there, they prepped me. I was adamant about not taking any pain medications and at least I won on that note. My baby was not getting introduced to drugs by me. With the doctor’s help, I pushed my son out into the world.
The beauty of birth is ecstasy.
The pain and fear completely left me as I beheld the beauty of my baby lying beside me. For the first time in my life tears of joy freely rolled down my cheeks. It was as if God opened up heaven to give me a miracle like no one has ever known. People have babies every moment of every day, but none of that occurred to me at that moment. This was my moment. The pure ecstasy was unmatched by anything I had ever experienced in the past or since. I counted his fingers and toes and took in his beauty, until the staff wheeled him away to examine him.
Babies are God’s gifts.
Babies will always be precious and miracles from God. Nothing is as pure and innocent as an infant, so when a friend of my husband and I sent me an email about a toy manufacturer marketing little black dolls as “monkeys” I could understand his outrage. I immediately thought of Snoping it but whoever had created the email had done us the favor of including the Snopes link regarding this email right in the body of the mail. I’ve included it here: Snopes.com. If you go to their site you can view a better close up of the doll and read the words “lil monkey” on the doll baby’s hat. People have every right to be indignant. This comes on the heels of our president being compared to a monkey and a police officer being quoted as calling a citizen a banana eating “jungle monkey” . The large toy manufacturer, Costco is marketing little black dolls and packaging them as “lil monkeys”.
Dolls were pulled from some shelves but not all.
It seems that the dolls were pulled from the shelves in Chicago and in Greensboro, North Carolina, only after enough people complained but are remaining on store shelves elsewhere. It is truly sad when people are not given their God given right of being treated equal, but even sadder when the market place is filled with this type of racism. What does it teach our children? According to Snopes the doll is still for sale in Winston Salem and other locations. It is the “Cuddle Baby” product #404860 and their corporate headquarters number is 800-774-2678.
Costco, this is a replica of a beautiful black baby, not a monkey. What are you thinking?
If this baby is a monkey, what are we?
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Post CommentChristine Ramsay
On October 10, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Here we sometimes use,\”You little monkey\”, as a term of endearment to a mischievous child, but in no way do we mean anything detrimental. I don\’t think it should be put on a toy though. A beautifully told story about the birth of your child.
Christine
Judy Sheldon
On October 10, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Christine, we may call our children many things in a playful moment, but it is not a toy manufacturers place to label children, particularly when they only carry this particular doll in Afro American. When I tease my children they know I love them.
I don’t like some of the terms used to refer to women either and if saw them in the market place I would also be outraged. Thanks so much for reading and supporting me.
Take care & God bless!
Jenny Heart
On October 10, 2009 at 4:31 pm
You are so right Judy. Children seem to get mixed messages more often than not. It’s a shame because God loves them all the same as we should. Great story with a great message.
CHAN LEE PENG
On October 10, 2009 at 8:05 pm
It\’s so sad that the toy baby is made into such a way! Of course, kid who owns this toy may manifest the meaning behind “the black baby” differently. Not only did this toy baby is made in an odd way, you can also find other stuff made into a form that can sometimes annoy certain community. Great read, thanks, sister.
Jane Benitez
On October 11, 2009 at 5:16 am
A heart warming story about your newborn and each little child born is certainly a gift from God. Great article.
BC Doan
On October 11, 2009 at 7:21 am
What are they thinking is a great question, Judy! I hope they will remove all the dolls..
Ruby Hawk
On October 11, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Yuk, I hope everyone will boycott any store who sells this doll. Loved your story about the birth of your baby.
Judy Sheldon
On October 11, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Mrs. Heart, you always exemplify your name as you encourage God’s love for all children.
Chan, thank you also for your support. We need to be careful what type of messages we send out to our children. You, of course, know that as your work hard in your tutoring of children.
Jane, this is my point exactly. As a parent we understand that a child is a gift from God. Do we want our offspring to be compared to an animal?
Icy, I hope they remove these dolls also, or at least remove the hats labeled “Lil monkey” and package them in an honorable way.
Ruby, childbirth is awe inspiring. There is nothing to compare. I do not like this miracle downplayed and shortchanged by a large toy manufacturer or anyone else.
Thank you everyone for your support. Take care & God bless!
papaleng
On October 12, 2009 at 12:17 pm
How sad to hear that sa toy manufacture had come in the first place a racist product, And i know your feelings. Guess, we Pilipinos have to endure a much deeper pain, because some known personalities call us “monkeys”.
Lex92
On October 12, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Wonderful story Judy. It’s kind of mean to consider black babies the same as monkeys. We are all; the same under law and under God, why should toy manufacturers try to create the racisim we have tried to overcome. .
Judy Sheldon
On October 12, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Papaleng, & Alexa, probably the same people that are making references towards Filipinos are the ones who are making references towards Afro Americans. They forget that God created us all in His image.
I “think” they had hoped for a windfall sales from bigots. It is hard to know what the intention was. It is hard to believe that it was all just an “oversight”. Marketing is a well thought out plan to help increase sales. People get 4 year degrees in marketing and work hard to improve profits. Could they have unintentionally missed up?
Thanks for your support. Take care & God bless.
Kimberly Cole
On October 12, 2009 at 11:00 pm
This issue is absolutely out of control. If any of you actually called the 800 number you would have gotten the real story. But you are all so thick headed that you refuse to believe the whole story. So let me be obliged to tell you. There were six dolls offered. There were latino, african american, and caucasion dolls which were offered accompanied by a panda or a monkey. The only dolls that are still in any store are the Panda dolls. There are by no means any of the dolls with the monkey still in any location. But you know, an international company has so much to gain by alienating a huge and integral base of it’s business as well as it’s employees. Because this definitely makes great business sense and since Costco has such a history of doing wrong by people, who would think any differently than there was intention by the Afrcian American buyer of this product to offend.
Be real people…honestly…
nobert soloria bermosa
On October 13, 2009 at 7:22 am
speaking in general… nobody has the right to say that their race is superior and that colored people are inferior or like animals…
Judy Sheldon
On October 13, 2009 at 7:28 am
Kimberly, thanks for taking the time to comment and look into this issue. I am sorry that your response still leaves me wondering about the intention. You state two other races were portrayed in dolls with monkeys or pandas. I’ve looked at several sites and not seen any white dolls called “lil monkeys”. No, I did not call the tel no. because frankly there are no lil monkey dolls being marketed here. Why were they ever marketed to begin with? Have you ever been a victim of racial discrimination? Do you know how it feels? I have seen it and it is ugly and hurtful.
Snopes is a reliable source and I received most of my information there.
A parent or loved one should be the only one allowed to call their child a little monkey and only in a playful context. I looked online for dolls and also found a disparity in prices for caucasian dolls and Afro American with the black dolls selling for $2.00 and $3.00 more a piece.
Judy Sheldon
On October 13, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Nobert, sorry, I missed your comment while I was responding to Kimberly’s. Thanks so much for your understanding support.
Patrick Regoniel
On October 13, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Giving birth is something men could not experience. It must be very much fulfilling to a woman. Regarding the doll, I think this is just one of those marketing strategies advertisers thought would stir customers to see the product. But I think naming it Lil Monkey is too much. Thanks!
Judy Sheldon
On October 13, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Patrick, while it is a physical impossibility for a man to give birth, I personally know some fathers who were also moved to tears at the birth of their baby. It is a true miracle and can be a very moving time for all involved.
Thanks so much for your support.
Take care & God bless.
Patrick Regoniel
On October 13, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Yes Judy. When my wife gave birth it was unfortunate I was out looking for blood to transfuse to her because she underwent Caesarian operation. We never anticipated the day, it was an emergency hospital admission because her water bag broke unexpectedly.
Judy Sheldon
On October 13, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Babies have a way of making their entry when they want, as three of mine did. Patrick, you were doing what you needed to for the health of your baby and your wife. She will always be grateful for that. I would!!
CHAN LEE PENG
On October 15, 2009 at 12:21 pm
I came to visit here and gave you a click.
Teves
On October 15, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Nice written…God Bless!
razumtina
On October 22, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Excellent article!