Since 1987, October has been officially recognized as Black History Month in the UK, acknowledging the contributions of Black people to the economic, cultural, and political life of London and the UK. This initiative addresses the omission and distortion of Africa's contributions in most history books. Kyaaba Addai Sebbo, who worked with Ken Livingstone at the Greater London Council (GLC) coordinating Special Projects, established Black History Month in the UK. On 1st October 1987, the GLC hosted Dr. Maulana Karenga from the US to commemorate the contributions of Black people throughout history.

The celebration has its roots in the United States, where it was initiated by historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1926. They designated the second week of February as "Negro History Week," aligning it with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. This week later expanded into what is now known as Black History Month in February.

The first black dolls were handmade rag dolls created by slaves for their children. Early mass-produced black dolls were typically just darker versions of white dolls. European doll makers were the first to mass-produce black dolls, with companies such as Jumeau of Paris, Bru Jne. & Cie of Paris, and the Franco-German Fleischmann and Bloedel leading the way.

Several European doll companies in the 19th century began manufacturing black dolls. In the early 1900s, American companies began including black dolls in their product lines. Between 1910 and 1930, manufacturers such as Horsman, Vogue, and Madame Alexander began producing black dolls. Gradually, other companies followed their lead.