Why are dolls considered racist?

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Golliwogs are considered an offensive caricature of black people, but people still insist on defending their right to display them. (Alamy)

A husband and wife have defied police by vowing to keep their collection of antique golliwog dolls on display in their pub after officers raided the premises.

Benice Ryley, 61, and her husband Chris, 65, were visited by police after someone filed an anonymous complaint about the couple committing a ‘hate crime’ by displaying the golliwogs – grabbing a certain number of dolls from the White Hart pub in Grays, Essex .

Since then, Ryley says customers have been chanting “save the gollies”, demanding the return of the dolls, which are widely seen as racist caricatures of black people.

Ms Ryley called the incident “political correctness spiraling out of control”, saying she is putting the remaining dolls from her collection on display.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman reportedly viewed the seizure as a waste of police resources, which deeply upset some people.

Read more: Pub owners won’t back down from racist golliwogs seized by police

Lawyer and political activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu accused Braverman of trying to “normalize racism” and suggested she should be prosecuted for it.

Scottish political activist Aamer Anwar said the Home Secretary was ‘going back in time to the 1970s, acting like a far-right cheerleader’ by tolerating an ‘ugly, nasty racist trope’.

Here, Yahoo News explains the character’s history and why he is considered so offensive today.

What is the origin of golliwogs?

An illustration from Golliwogg’s Polar Adventure by Florence Upton. (Getty Pictures)

The character began life as a character created by American-born English designer Florence Kate Upton, who first featured illustrations in her 1895 book, The Adventures of the Two Dutch Dolls.

Its main characters were two Dutch dolls, Peg and Sarah Jane, and a golliwogg (as it was originally written), whom they encounter while on the loose in a toy store.

They describe the doll as the “blackest gnome” and a “horrible sight”. He was described as ugly, with Upton drawing him with big eyes, red lips, and paws instead of hands and feet.

The story continues

Upton based the character on a black minstrel doll she had “roughly” played with while living in New York City, using it as a target for rubber bullets, according to the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia.

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Golly dolls quickly became a popular toy for children in Britain. (Getty Pictures)

The book became incredibly popular in Britain, with Upton and her mother Bertha creating 12 more books featuring the doll, although they did not trademark the character.

It became a popular toy for children and was also featured in books by Enid Blyton, who often described them as rude and mischievous. As the doll crept into the public imagination, it was used for far more heinous purposes.

Why are golliwogs considered racist?

The gollywog character is based on black minstrels, who themselves are racist and mocking representations of black people. (Getty Pictures)

Even though Upton intended his character to be playful, he is still seen as a harmful stereotype that humiliates black people.

The character was based on minstrels – who portrayed black people as lazy, careless, foolish and inferior to white people – and was later used to portray black people as thieves and miscreants, so there is little doubt about the connection between dolls and a common racial slur.

Can you still buy golliwogs?

It is still possible to buy golly dolls and souvenirs in the UK, with some UK websites dedicated to selling them.

While eBay has in the past banned people from selling such items due to its policy against ‘hateful or discriminatory’ items, a quick look at the auction site this morning showed some were listed .

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Despite Essex Police’s seizure of the White Hart pub, the dolls are not illegal to possess or display, despite being offensive, so the incident has sharply divided opinion.

However, some stores have faced heavy backlash for selling the dolls, including an interior design store in Bristol – a city with a historic link to the slave trade – which has been called “absolutely disgraceful “.

How much are gollys worth?

The price of a doll will largely depend on its age.

In 1908 Steiff became the first company to mass-produce and distribute the dolls, which today sell for between 8,000 and 12,000, making them the most expensive of their kind, but those produced at the end of the 20th century will be less expensive.

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