One of the most beloved “Black Panther” characters is Princess Shuri, played by Letitia Wright. People fell in love with her hilarious pranks, gorgeous braids, and lovely representation for Black girls in STEM. Princess Shuri is also technically Disney’s second Black princess ever (first came Princess Tiana, voiced by Anika Noni Rose) — so why didn’t she get the swift Barbie treatment? Marvel missed the Wakandan boat on that one… but a creative mom didn’t! Their Princess Shuri doll is a custom creation and not officially affiliated with Marvel Studios, Barbie or “Black Panther” in any way. Marvel kind of should have done this so all the little girls obsessed with brains and melanin-filled beauty of Princess Shuri could add another brown doll to their collection — but thankfully, this mother used her creativity to fill the void for her own daughter. Crafty moms and Black Disney princesses for the win! (But yeah, Marvel. What’s good?)
