We recently connected with Clara D. Lewis and have shared our conversation below.
Clara, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
As I stepped into my 40s, I began to recognize my beauty and what defines me as a Black woman. I wanted to embrace all of my features. Through this journey, I reflected on my younger self and wondered why it took me so long to appreciate myself in this way
As a social worker, I observed a recurring issue of low self-esteem among the children I worked with, often stemming from their physical appearance. Upon reflection, I realized that the root cause was the lack of representation. Kids are impressionable and highly sensitive to their environment. When they don’t see people who look like them on TV, in their community, or in their toys, it can have a negative impact on their self-confidence.
It was important to me to make their journey to self-appreciation easier than it was for my generation, but also to make the world around them more accepting of them.
Dolls were the perfect medium between learning and fun. I wanted children to have dolls they could identify with because they looked like them or looked like a friend of theirs.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Clara D. Lewis, and I am a mother of three wonderful sons. I am also the founder of Brown Diva Dolls, a small black-owned company based in Montreal. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a Master’s degree in Management.
As a social worker for over 28 years, I have always been passionate about child development. One area that is particularly important to me is representation in the toy industry. I have seen firsthand how vital it is to expose children to diverse environments they can relate to, which helps to build their self-confidence. This is why I founded Brown Diva Dolls, a company that sells dolls with darker skin tones in different shades, as well as dolls with skin conditions like albinism and vitiligo.
Our goal is to encourage and uplift self-confidence by featuring young girls of upcoming generations. Our dolls, available in 14 and 18 inches, serve as a means of education, promoting acceptance of oneself and others through play. Furthermore, we aim to familiarize children of all ethnicities with diverse beauty standards from an early age, nurturing an attitude of broad-mindedness and inclusivity.
At Brown Diva Dolls, we take great pride in crafting our dolls with attention to detail, ensuring a realistic appearance that reflects the diversity of children. Our dolls feature Afrocentric features, curly, kinky, and coily hair, and vibrant skin complexions that represent the children we encounter. Additionally, our dolls’ clothing is produced by a non-profit organization in Montreal that focuses on promoting the social and professional integration of women from visible minorities. Our unique products go beyond traditional toys and contribute to building a more inclusive society.
In February 2023, we created the Diva Dr. Alex Bastiany, a commemorative doll to honor Alexandra Bastiany’s groundbreaking achievement as the first black woman to become an interventional cardiologist in Canada. This remains one of our proudest moments. The doll was made during Black History Month and attracted significant media attention.
As a small black-owned and woman-owned business, all aspects of our company are led by women.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Firstly, my passion for creation. Our dolls come to us from abroad without any clothes. This is because we want to design and create them ourselves. I personally design all the clothes and we have a company that manufactures them locally. The dolls are called “Divas” because they represent beauty, grace, confidence, and more.” We didn’t just want to sell a product; we wanted to create something unique and special. My greatest strength lies in my creativity, and I also understand the power of branding: establishing our brand name, giving it a distinct personality, and creating loyal followers who identify with and care about the brand.
I am highly skilled in networking and creating buzz for businesses. Public relations is one of my strengths, and I often interact with the media to introduce new and innovative products. For instance, we made headlines when we launched the doll Dr. Bastiany, who represents Canada’s first black cardiologist. In addition, we have also introduced a black doll in a wheelchair, reflecting our commitment to inclusivity. Our company’s vision goes beyond selling dolls; it’s a mission to send a message of diversity and inclusion. We aim to stand out from the crowd and do things differently, and our international reach further emphasizes our commitment to this mission.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
We are actively seeking collaborations with distributors and chain stores in the USA or internationally to expand the reach of our products and make them accessible to a larger audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://browndivasdolls.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brown.diva.dolls/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/browndivasdolls/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clara-d-lewis/
- Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@browndivas_
Image Credits
Martine Doucet, Qauffeegraphy, Yvette C Photographe, Nathalie Sartisson
