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Niki Coffman/Facebook

Fisher-Price Went Above & Beyond for Mom Who Wanted a Toy That Looks Like Her Adopted Son

Walking down the toy aisle should be a delightful treat for a young child. The 5-year-old Black boy with red hair rarely sees himself reflected in the figurines on the shelves. Thankfully, his mom Niki Coffman did something about it.
Niki Coffman/Facebook
Niki Coffman/Facebook
NIKI SAID WHEN HER SON DOESN'T SEE TOYS THAT REFLECT HIM, HE NOTICES IT.
“When there aren’t toys like him, he asks why,” Niki told TODAY.com.
Niki Coffman/Facebook
In the five years Niki has spent raising him, she has made a conscious effort to search for toys, books, and holiday decorations that look like her son. When a company provides diverse representation, Niki writes letters of thanks, and when they don’t, she asks them to do better.
NIKI IS ALWAYS SEARCHING FOR DIVERSE TOYS, BOOKS, AND ART SUPPLIES.
They feature children of different skin tones, hair textures, and physical abilities.
Niki Coffman/Facebook
Niki Coffman/Facebook
“[I] thanked them profusely for the work they were doing and then left a P.S. that said something like: 'If you ever decided to design a Little Person with brown skin and red hair, please let us know.'"
“Your story has been shared with everyone who worked on the Little People figures you mentioned, and to say that it made our day would be an understatement," Weber wrote.
FISHER-PRICE MADE SURE TO GIFT ARCHER WITH SOMETHING SPECIAL.
Niki Coffman/Facebook
Niki Coffman/Facebook
"You and Archer have inspired us! We know that when kids play with Little People they are playing out scenarios they see in the world around them, and feeling like they are a part of that world is critical."
NIKI WAS BROUGHT TO TEARS BY THE GESTURE.
Then on Tuesday, May 23, Niki received a special box. Inside, there was a beautifully printed letter, signed by employees of the company.
Niki Coffman/Facebook
Niki Coffman/Facebook
“They got the whole outfit perfect — the sweater, the green shorts, his little loafers. They got his hair perfect,” Niki said.
The thing that just keeps blowing my mind is the number of people who obviously worked on this it s hard to describe how impactful it feels to think of people I don t know...
Niki Coffman/Facebook
...in boardrooms somewhere looking at a picture of my kid and thinking What else can we do Because as a mom I think about that every day How else can I smooth the path for him
“I said, ‘Archer, they made you.’ His little jaw dropped. He snatched the box out of my hands … whipped around and shouted: 'It's me! It's me!'"
NIKI SAID THE TOY IS A LOT MORE THAN THAT.
Niki Coffman/Facebook
Niki Coffman/Facebook
"He showed everyone. He didn't put [the toy] down all day."
"I need them to have toys and and books that look like Archer, because that's how they understand that brown skin isn't less than," she said.
Niki Coffman/Facebook
Niki Coffman/Facebook
"And I'm in a really unique position as a white woman with a Black kid to help people understand why representation matters. Black parents are tired and they already know it's important."