The more things change the more they stay the same. You would think one’s exposure and confrontation with racism would decrease as you climb the rungs of success but that’s not always the case. Take for example a gift international music icon, Janet Jackson, received while she was on tour.

Source: @JanetJackson

This little doll is Maria. Janet recently tweeted a picture of the doll with the accompanying text:

During the tour, I was given this doll named Maria. She was advertised as lifelike. How does Maria make you feel?

Well. I don’t know how Maria makes you feel but I can tell you that she doesn’t exactly solicit warm fuzzies from me. I find the act of giving a doll like Maria to be more chilling than Maria herself. Clearly, this individual is sick and perhaps a bit dangerous. But Maria also raises a whole lot of questions. Who gave her this doll? How did they get it to Janet Jackson? What message were they trying to send? And perhaps most importantly, when will our country (and others) be done with the racially motivated or racially ignorant shenanigans and attacks?

How does Maria make you feel?

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