Addy Walker was the fifth Historical Character of the American Girls, a line of 18-inch (46 cm) dolls by Pleasant Company. She represented the Civil War Era and was released in the Fall of 1993. As much as kids adored her, you could say that over time, Addy was forgotten about. But almost three decades after her “birthday”, Twitter user @NotLaja accused Addy of being ‘a slave doll’.

But they couldn’t be further from the truth. Fans of the series quickly rose to defend Addy, reminding us of all the hard work that her creators put into their dolls.

Recently, one Twitter user accused Addy Walker of being ‘a slave doll’

People can still buy Addy Walker. She comes with deep-brown eyes that open and close, golden hoop earrings, thick black hair, and an authentic 1864 outfit.

“When Poppa and her brother Sam are sold, Addy and her mother make the wrenching decision to steal away to freedom on their own,” an American Girls spokesperson told Bored Panda Addy’s story. “Their safety means leaving Addy’s baby sister behind — her cries could cost them their lives. After a daring and dangerous escape, Addy and her mother start a new life in Philadelphia. Addy misses the rest of her family terribly, and she finds that freedom is more complicated than she had imagined. Addy must dig deep to find the courage to face a powerful truth — freedom sometimes has great costs.”

The representative of the company said girls connect with Addy because of the qualities they share; a strong connection to family, a hopeful view of the future, a love of school and learning, a desire to unite all people, as well as the determination to keep going despite tremendous obstacles, and an unshakable belief in the power of love and the goodness of all people. “Her defining qualities are her tender heart, her kindness, and her courage.”

People quickly rose to defend Addy and her creators

Addy is a nine-year-old born into slavery who escapes to freedom with her mother during the Civil War. “True to history, her story depicts what it was like for Addy and other young Black girls during the Civil War. As difficult as it is to read about this time in our country’s past, we feel it’s important not to ignore it.”

Reminding of all the thought that went into creating the American Girl series

Eventually, the exchange went viral, generating even more comments

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