The dolls reminded me of the painful memories and difficulties growing up in New Orleans with what I was told was the wrong color skin and bad short hair, the only difference was that “Ninkie” was cute and only because she was made in the 80. A lot of my feelings were rooted not in hatred for myself but for the absence of dolls that looked like me. Continue reading My Bittersweet Pickaninny Dolls: New Orleans Vintage Gambina Dolls, Ninkie, and Jody circa 1700s