Miniature (adult-aged) versions of presidential dolls have become a part of the American cultural lexicon, but, you’re not going to find a baby-sized doll fashioned to look like Abraham Lincoln. Does anyone want to cuddle an adorable little version of G Dubya? Not so much.
So why does Ashton-Drake Galleries think the newest addition to its African American collection — ‘President Barack Obama Commemorative Baby Doll‘ is a good idea?
Ashton-Drake describes the doll as a celebration of Obama’s historical story:
“With messages of hope and the belief that dreams really do come true, Barack Obama, our first African-American President, has inspired young and old. Now you can celebrate his historical story with this President Barack Obama commemorative baby doll, exclusively from The Ashton-Drake Galleries.”
The fact that President Obama is the first of America’s leaders to inspire the creation of a baby made in his image speaks to the sentiment millions of people hold for the country’s first black president. In the hearts of his most loyal supporters he is not just respected, but cherished. Add to this the fact that he is a member of a small group of presidents who were not born wealthy, and a baby Obama makes sense as a collectible item that can inspire the common man, woman or child to dream big.
When I look at this “Birth of Hope” baby Obama, for me it drives home the true spirit of the American dream — that with education, support and encouragement one can rise from humble beginnings and achieve great success. Symbolically speaking, the doll represents all that is possible in this country for those who believe in themselves and their individual potential to achieve educational, personal, civic and economic success.
And on that note, the doll retails for $149.99 –kathleen cross
