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Barbie just got hit with a dose of Hollywood awesomeness, and her name is Ava DuVernay.

The doll manufacturer put the doll into mass production in response to demand.

In April, Mattel announced plans to create Barbie dolls modeled after six inspirational women.

The women they honored have done great work in the entertainment, media, and fashion industries: country artist Trisha Yearwood, fashion designer Sydney "Mayhem" Keiser, actresses Emmy Rossum and Kristin Chenoweth, Lucky Editor-in-Chief Eva Chen, and director Ava DuVernay.


The plan was to make a single doll for each woman on the "Sheroes" line. Then Mattel took it a step further.

The initial idea was simple (and great): make one doll for each "Shero," auction them off, and let the women behind the dolls' likenesses decide which charity the proceeds would go to.


But over the weekend, Mattel announced it would be mass-producing at least one of the dolls — Ava DuVernay's. All proceeds from sales of the "Selma" director's Barbie will be going to charities Color of Change and Witness.


But perhaps the coolest thing about the announcement of DuVernay's Barbie was the response from her fans.

Monday morning, people excitedly awaited details on how they could purchase one of the Ava Barbies. Some wanted one to give to their sons, daughters, nieces, or nephews; others just wanted to buy one for themselves (and hey, who says adults can't have dolls, anyway?).


For all the positivity Barbie has brought to the world, two of the near-constant critiques have been the lack of diversity in the line and the promotion of unrealistic beauty standards. This doll addresses at least one of those problems, expanding the universe of possibilities for the Barbie-faithful of the world.


Actress Parisa Fitz-Henley, most recently seen as Reva on Netflix's "Jessica Jones," shared her excitement over the new possibilities and inspirations others will be able to draw from a powerful figure like DuVernay being represented in a beloved, universally known toy.


It seems like the people at Barbie are really upping their game.

As mentioned above, the company hasn't had a perfect track record when it comes to things like representation and body image. The good news is that it seems they're making some steps in the right direction.

DuVernay was the first black woman to be nominated for the Oscar for best director. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.

"Started by a female entrepreneur and mother, this brand has a responsibility to continue to honor and encourage powerful female role models who are leaving a legacy for the next generation of glass ceiling breakers," Barbie General Manager Evelyn Mazzocco said in an April press release about the "Sheroes" line.

In addition to the DuVernay doll, Mattel recently made a Zendaya doll — though it doesn't seem to be going into mass production. Mattel also made news when it released an ad that included *gasp* a boy, helping bust some gender stereotypes.

Here's hoping the company keeps up the renewed commitment to inclusivity.

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Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

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Education

3,700-year-old Babylonian stone tablet gets translated, changes history

They were doing trigonometry 1500 years before the Greeks.

via UNSW

Dr. Daniel Mansfield and his team at the University of New South Wales in Australia have just made an incredible discovery. While studying a 3,700-year-old tablet from the ancient civilization of Babylon, they found evidence that the Babylonians were doing something astounding: trigonometry!

Most historians have credited the Greeks with creating the study of triangles' sides and angles, but this tablet presents indisputable evidence that the Babylonians were using the technique 1,500 years before the Greeks ever were.

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Family

Mom’s blistering rant on how men are responsible for all unwanted pregnancies is on the nose

“ALL unwanted pregnancies are caused by the irresponsible ejaculations of men. Period. Don't believe me? Let me walk you through it."

Mom has something to say... strongly say.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as Mormons, are a conservative group who aren't known for being vocal about sex.

But best selling author, blogger, and mother of six, Gabrielle Blair, has kicked that stereotype to the curb with a pointed thread on reducing unwanted pregnancies. And her sights are set directly at men.

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Family

Dad takes 7-week paternity leave after his second child is born and is stunned by the results

"These past seven weeks really opened up my eyes on how the household has actually ran, and 110% of that is because of my wife."

@ustheremingtons/TikTok

There's a lot to be gleaned from this.

Participating in paternity leave offers fathers so much more than an opportunity to bond with their new kids. It also allows them to help around the house and take on domestic responsibilities that many new mothers have to face alone…while also tending to a newborn.

All in all, it enables couples to handle the daunting new chapter as a team, making it less stressful on both parties. Or at least equally stressful on both parties. Democracy!

TikTok creator and dad Caleb Remington, from the popular account @ustheremingtons, confesses that for baby number one, he wasn’t able to take a “single day of paternity leave.”

This time around, for baby number two, Remington had the privilege of taking seven weeks off (to be clear—his employer offered four weeks, and he used an additional three weeks of PTO).

The time off changed Remington’s entire outlook on parenting, and his insights are something all parents could probably use.

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Science

She tattooed half her face and you'd never know it. Her skills are just that good.

This incredible medical tattoo technology is giving renewed hope to burn victims.

All images via the CBS/YouTube

Basma Hameed runs a tattoo shop, of sorts...


Meet Samira Omar.

The 17-year-old was the victim of a horrific bullying incident.

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Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

Updating the kitchen.


Remember those beloved Richard Scarry books?

Books from when you were a kid?

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Education

Voice recordings of people who were enslaved offer incredible first-person accounts of U.S. history

"The results of these digitally enhanced recordings are arresting, almost unbelievable. The idea of hearing the voices of actual slaves from the plantations of the Old South is as powerful—as startling, really—as if you could hear Abraham Lincoln or Robert E. Lee speak." - Ted Koppel

Library of Congress

When we think about the era of American slavery, many of us tend to think of it as the far distant past. While slavery doesn't exist as a formal institution today, there are people living who knew formerly enslaved black Americans first-hand. In the wide arc of history, the legal enslavement of people on U.S. soil is a recent occurrence—so recent, in fact, that we have voice recordings of interviews with people who lived it.

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