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TOMORROW MORNING, STARTING AT 430. BARBIE JUST RELEASED MATTEL RATHER JUST RELEASED THE FIRST EVER BLACK BARBIE DOLL REPRESENTING SOMEONE WITH DOWN SYNDROME. IT WAS CREATED LAST YEAR, BUT FOR TODAY’S NEW EDITION, MATTEL RECEIVED INPUT FROM A LOCAL FAMILY, TANIQUA PENNIX SPEAKS ONE ON ONE WITH THE MOTHER DAUGHTER DUO WHO HELPED MAKE IT HAPPEN. IT’S A STORY ALL NEW AT SIX. BEFORE ADDING BARBIE TO HER RESUME, 21 YEAR OLD TAYLOR FREEMAN WAS JUST YOUR AVERAGE CLEMSON STUDENT WHO LOVES FOOTBALL. GO TIGERS AND IS INVOLVED IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. I WANTED TO I’M INTO MY KAPPA. TAYLOR WAS BORN WITH A DOWN SYNDROME, BUT HER MOM AYOKA FREEMAN, NEVER WANTED TAYLOR TO FEEL LIMITED. SHE HAS DONE WHATEVER SHE’S WANTED TO DO. SHE HAS BEEN, UM, SHE’S BEEN IN THE MARCHING BAND. SHE’S BEEN PROM QUEEN. SHE HAS HER LEARNER’S PERMIT. SHE HAS A CAR. SHE CAN DRIVE. WE HAVE NOT PUTTING ANY ROADBLOCKS OR ANYTHING THERE BECAUSE OF HER DIAGNOSIS. BECAUSE THAT’S ONLY PART OF WHO SHE IS, IS NOT WHO SHE IS. THROUGH BARBIE BRAND, MATTEL’S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY, TAYLOR AND AYOKA GOT THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME WHEN THEY WERE ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CREATION OF THE FIRST BLACK BARBIE WITH DOWN SYNDROME. WHEN TAYLOR AS A LITTLE GIRL, SHE HAS LOVED PLAYING WITH BARBIES AND I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT IN A MILLION YEARS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A BARBIE WITH DOWN SYNDROME THAT LOOKS LIKE MY DAUGHTER TAYLOR AND HER MOM WERE ABLE TO REVIEW THE SMALLEST DETAILS TO MAKE THIS DOLL MORE RELATABLE TO THOSE WITH DOWN SYNDROME. SHE HAS AN OVAL SHAPED FACE. SHE HAS SLANTED EYES. SHE HAS MORE TINY EARS, HER NOSE IS MORE FLAT. SHE HAS A LONG TORSO. WHEN YOU’RE BORN WITH DOWN SYNDROME, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE, UM, LOW MUSCLE TONE. SO THIS DOLL SHOWS SOME OF THOSE CHARACTERISTICS. HOW BRIGHT THIS, LIKE ME LIKE THAT IS. JUST LIKE ME. HER DRESS LOOKS LIKE ME. SURROUNDED BY LOVE AND A STRONG SUPPORT SYSTEM, TAYLOR’S FAMILY BASK IN THE JOY THIS BARBIE BRINGS AS IT’S A SYMBOL OF REPRESENTATION AND INCLUSION, NOT JUST FOR TAYLOR, BUT OTHERS. JUST LIKE HER. PHOENIX WYFF NEWS FOUR THE BLACK BARBIE WITH DOWN SYNDROME IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE TODAY. YOU CAN FI