Shindana Toys
Encyclopedia
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
Watts Riots
The Watts Riots or the Watts Rebellion was a civil disturbance in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California from August 11 to August 15, 1965. The 5-day riot resulted in 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, and 3,438 arrests...
. Company proceeds supported businesses in the Watts area. Shindana (a Swahili word roughly meaning "to compete") Toys was community-owned and founded by Louis S. Smith, II and Robert Hall
Robert Hall
The Rev. Robert Hall was an English Baptist minister.He was born at Arnesby near Leicester, where his father, Robert Hall was pastor of a Baptist congregation. Robert was the youngest of a family of fourteen...
. The latter was the company's first CEO and President; though he was succeeded in both posts by Smith. The Chase Manhattan Bank
Chase Manhattan Bank
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase, is a national bank that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of financial services firm JPMorgan Chase. The bank was known as Chase Manhattan Bank until it merged with J.P. Morgan & Co. in 2000...
, the Mattel Toy Company, Sears Roebuck & Co., and Equitable Life Assurance helped finance portions of the Shindana Toys operations. According to a doll box from 1975, the company's address and phone number were "6107 So. Central Ave, Los Angeles, Calif 90001 213-231-9387."
From a shop on Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, California, Doris Conner--an African American, entrepreneurial businesswoman—along with her daughters, Lynne and Tuesday Conner, created, designed, and manufactured many of the clothes worn by Shindana Dolls. They also manufactured the Flip Wilson doll.
Shindana Toys was historically significant for being one of the first toy companies (if not the first) to market ethnically-correct Black dolls
Black dolls
A black doll is a dark-colored inanimate representation of a dark-skinned person. Representations, both stereotypical and accurate, fashioned into playthings, date back centuries...
. A goal of the company was to raise Black consciousness and improve self-image. In a 1970's Los Angeles Associated Press article, company president, Louis Smith said, "We believe that only by learning to love oneself can one learn to love others...Shindana believes that by marketing black dolls and games that both black and white children can learn to relate to at an early age, the company can foster the spirit of what Shindana is all about, love."
While the first doll created by Shindana Toys was named "Baby Nancy," many later Shindana Toys dolls featured ethnically correct names, including names that were Swahili in origin. The popular Talking Tamu (Swahili for "sweet") doll was designed to say the following phrases:
- My name is Tamu.
- Cool it, baby.
- Do you like my dress?
- Hold me tight.
- I'm sleepy.
- Can you dig it?
- Let's play house.
- I love you.
- Tamu means 'sweet'.
- I'm hungry.
- I'm proud, like you.
Popular Shindana Doll Lines
Black Celebrity DollsShindana dolls were created with the likenesses of positive Black celebrities, including Flip Wilson
Flip Wilson
Clerow Wilson, Jr. , known professionally as Flip Wilson, was an American comedian and actor. In the early 1970s, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series, The Flip Wilson Show...
, Jimmie Walker
Jimmie Walker
James Carter "Jimmie" Walker is an American actor and stand-up comedian, known for portraying J. J. Evans on the television series Good Times, which ran from 1974 to 1979...
, Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
(a.k.a. Dr. J.), O.J. Simpson, Marla Gibbs
Marla Gibbs
Marla Gibbs is an American television and film actress and singer. She is best remembered for playing Louise and George Jefferson's sarcastic maid, Florence Johnston, on The Jeffersons and spinoff Checking In...
, Redd Foxx
Redd Foxx
John Elroy Sanford , better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American comedian and actor, best known for his starring role on the sitcom Sanford and Son.-Early life:...
, Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
, and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. Children could make some of these dolls "talk" by pulling and releasing a string.
Cuddly Li'l Souls
This line featured "soft cloth-body rag dolls with natural-style hair" and clothing imprinted with uplifting phrases like "Peace," "Right On," "I'm Proud, Say It Loud", and "Learn, baby, learn." The last phrase was a transformation of the "Burn, baby, burn" chants heard during the Watts Riots. These dolls were given name like "Sis," "Natra," "Wilky," and "Coochy." The 1971 Sears Wish Book priced these dolls between $1.89 and $2.19.
Little Friends Collection
This collection featured Black, Caucasian, Asian, and Hispanic boys and girls—most about 12 inches tall and with attention given to ethnic details.
Career Girl, Wanda:
"Each of Wanda's boxes included a little pamphlet explaining the doll's particular profession. Photos of real Black women in these professions and their comments about the nature of their jobs gave suggestions on what the child might do to learn more about the job." Some of Wanda's careers included nurse, skydiver/race car driver, tennis player, and singer.