Black Doll Museum Bringing Culture and History to Mansfield

Celeste Cotton and two of her sisters opened the National Black Doll Museum in Mansfield in the summer of 2012, and are now receiving some well-deserved credit.

“We had so many dolls, and nowhere to put them,” She said. “We always wanted to have a museum, but we could never find the right building.”

Cotton said they found the right building in Mansfield. At first glance, the museum looks like a storefront on North Main Street, but the museum extends all the way back to Old Colony Road.

Cotton said she and her sisters Felicia Walker and Debra Britt opened a museum to both show their extensive collection and share the story of African American culture.

“I think every doll has a story,” Cotton said. “I think the dolls are significant in that they represent different parts of life. Personally I can relate my life to different dolls and stages of my life. I was doing this in this point of my life.”

Cotton said she and her sisters grew up during the Civil Rights Movement in America. She said she and her sisters grew up with their grandmother, who was a maid at the time. She said her grandmother was also a collector of black dolls.

“My uncle was in Vietnam, and every country he went to he would send us a doll back,” she said. “We’ve been collecting since we were little girls.”

The museum has many different sections and they’re always changing exhibits. The museum also serves as a workshop for children, who come and make dolls and learn the history as well.

“We want to turn Mansfield into a cultural district,” she said.

The children make dolls out of mostly recycled materials. One exhibit the children helped to make was a simulation of a slave ship and the cramped space and living conditions faced by the slaves. Cotton said learning history in this visual and tactile fashion could get points across to children much more effectively than reading   book.

“I think that the kids that have passed through here really get it,” she said. “We have some of the high school kids and middle schools kids that come here faithfully. They come to hang out. Other businesses tell them they can t hang out here – they want to come in and make some dolls. We’ve got kids that can come in here and give you a tour.”

Cotton said they will soon be hosting an exhibit at the Massachusetts Statehouse Library in June.

“We’re going to be doing a display on transportation,” she said.

She told the story of one father and his daughter just passing through the downtown area and happened on the museum. She said they came in and made dolls, and she said he later contacted them on Facebook to express his thanks.

“He left a real nice comment,” she said. “He had the best time with him and his daughter. He said she’s not used to people, and for her to open up and this doll was amazing. She never puts it down, it’s really helped her.”

The museum itself showcases many different aspects of African American history in a touchable, tactile fashion. One of the dolls, called a topsy turvy, was used by African American slaves. The doll itself was a combination of two torsos, one white and one black. The slave mother taking care of both her children and the white children would put a dress on the appropriate side, as slaves were not allowed to have dolls growing up.

The museum has other aspects as well. Debra Britt said they have a Bob Marley doll that’s unique in the entire world. The doll has Marley’s real hair and the clothing was made from his clothes. They also have a doll of the first black Barbie doll made, which was as early as 1979. Britt said it was unique because before Barbie did have black friends, but there was never a black Barbie itself.

Cotton said the museum has been a help to the Mansfield Downtown. She said one of their conventions held at the Holiday Inn brought in many people. Sh

“The Mansfield ATM machines ran out of money,” she said. “We know we can bring the revenue in here.”

She said attracting more people to the downtown in the tourism sense would greatly help Mansfield. She said she is also working with Ken Butler at the Mansfield Music and Arts Society to make Mansfield a cultural district.

The museum is located on 288 North Main St. and is open every day but Monday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.