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91ƵGolliwog91Ƶ doll sells out after complaint at B.C. store, but owner not planning to restock

A customer complained about the dolls, which have been criticized as caricatures of black people.
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Black Pudding store owner Greg Bowles said in 20 years, there have only been 91Ƶfour or five91Ƶ negative comments about the 91ƵGolliwog91Ƶ dolls the Langley British import store sells. Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times

The controversial 91Ƶgolliwog91Ƶ dolls are off the shelves at a Langley British-imports store for now, and the owner said he91Ƶs not sure he91Ƶll order more.

91ƵThey91Ƶre sold out,91Ƶ said Greg Bowles of Black Pudding imports.

The dolls sparked a complaint from Surrey resident Taylor Walker, who told the Langley Times Advance she was startled to see the dolls for sale during a visit to the store Sunday.

Walker, whose father is black, said the imported British-made black dolls, which have eyes rimmed in white, big red lips and frizzy hair, were offensive.

Bowles and co-owner Linda Hazelton insisted the dolls weren91Ƶt racist.

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Following the story about the incident, which drew a great deal of comment on social media, Bowles said the store received some harassing messages, as well as a lot of support.

91ƵThey91Ƶre harassing other stores now,91Ƶ Bowles said.

He said he91Ƶs not planning to re-stock the dolls at this point. The ones in the store recently were part of an order from 2015. Bowles said he wasn91Ƶt sure it made business sense to order more.

Golliwog dolls are based on a character in an 1895 children91Ƶs book called The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwogg by British author Florence Kate Upton, who described the character as 91Ƶthe blackest gnome.91Ƶ

It was a popular children91Ƶs toy in many European countries, but in recent years has become a magnet for controversy, with critics saying the doll was based on blackface worn by white performers who crudely stereotyped black people.

According to a number of historical sources, the doll inspired the racial slur 91Ƶwog.91Ƶ

Because of that, Hazelton and Bowles said, the toys are now called 91ƵGolly91Ƶ dolls.

The Ferris State University 91ƵJim Crow museum of racist memorabilia91Ƶ website said Golliwog dolls were the 91Ƶleast known of the major anti-black caricatures in the United States.91Ƶ

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Matthew Claxton

About the Author: Matthew Claxton

Raised in Langley, as a journalist today I focus on local politics, crime and homelessness.
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