A 9-year-old CEO and his mother created a doll line aimed at providing more positive images of Black youth, PEOPLE reported. 

Demetrius Davis Jr and his mother, Luciana Gilmore, were inspired to create Our Brown Boy Joy in June 2020 when they realized there were not enough positive images out there of Black young men. 

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Gilmore, the company’s creative director, is a former elementary and high school principal who worked in the Cleveland school district and even came crossed paths with Tamir Rice who was tragically killed in 2014 by a white police officer. 

As a Black mother, Gilmore faced the reality her son could potentially be put into those same circumstances because of his clothes or presence.  

“I think he’s super cool and one of the most awesome kids ever,” she said. “But when he leaves here, he’s just a Brown boy.” 

The duo made the decision to put the doll in a hoodie and Timbaland boots. A hoodie is what 17-year-old Trayvon Martin wore the night George Zimmerman killed him in 2012, after deeming him suspicious in a Stanford, Florida neighborhood.  

Martin’s death and Zimmerman’s acquittal led to the formation of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

“One of the things Little Dee said right away, ‘Mom, let’s put him in a hoodie,’” said Gilmore, who is a former principal for Cleveland Metropolitan School District. “We want to show that Brown boys can wear whatever they want. That doesn’t mean they’re criminals or bad people. My son wears a hoodie all the time. As a principal, I had to wrestle with students in school about hoodies all the time.” 

Our Brown Boy Joy is continuing to grow and they’ve sold almost 10,000 dolls in less than a year. The team envisions expanding the business to offer various skin tones and wardrobe options.  

“From the curly hair to the hoodie to the Timberlands, the doll is an exact replica of my son,” said Gilmore. ” My friend, Our Brown Boy Joy, Little Dee, our whole purpose is for the world to know and see and view our boys as joy.”