We’re doing a special two-part series on the American Girl Doll line of historical dolls!

Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Aisha Harris of NPR to look at the origins of the American Girl Doll, the various periods of American history represented by the series — and how they served as an entry point to history for many people.

Be sure to check out Aisha’s work on Pop Culture Happy Hour, and pre-order her new book Wannabe: Reckonings With The Pop Culture That Shaped Me

Next episode: a deep dive into Addy, the American Girl Doll’s first Black character.

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Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Audrey Mardavich is our Executive Producer at Radiotopia