Photo via: Barbie
During Glamour’s Women of the Year summit on Monday, Mattel (maker of Barbie) debuted its first-hijab wearing Barbie Doll in honor of trailblazing Olympic Fencer, Ibtihaj Muhammad.
The 31-year-old is the first Muslim woman to compete for the U.S. in fencing, the first U.S. athlete to compete at the Olympics in a hijab, as well as the first U.S. Olympian to win a medal at the Games while wearing a hijab. For Muhammad, getting her very own doll is a “childhood dream come true, ” as she told HuffPost:
“My mom made efforts when I was a kid to bring dolls into the house that were only dolls of color. So I only had brown Barbie dolls growing up and I think that was an effort made by my parents to see us reflected in the dolls we played with. It’s revolutionary to make all kids ― no matter your skin color, your gender, your ethnicity, your religious beliefs ― feel included.”
The new doll is a part of Barbie’s Shero Collection, which includes actress/activist Zendaya, Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas, ballet phenom Misty Copeland, and visionary filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
“It’s a very humbling experience to even be in the same sentence with these women,” Muhammad told HuffPost. “I feel very proud and good about working with a brand that honors not just powerful women and women of color, but also a brand that honors women who are working to impact the global community, not just today but also in the future.”
According to Barbie, Muhammad’s Shero Doll is set to be released in 2018.
Congratulations, Ibtihaj Muhammad! You are an inspiration to us all.