Two Langley shopkeepers say they will continue to sell Golliwog dolls because they are 鈥渘ot aracist thing at all.鈥�

Greg Bowles and Linda Hazelton, owners of the Black Pudding Imports Ltd. store, were respondingto a complaint by Surrey resident Taylor Walker, who said the imported British-made black dolls,which have eyes rimmed in white, big red lips and frizzy hair, were offensive.

Walker said she and her boyfriend were startled to see the dolls were for sale during a visit onSunday to the store on 203rd Street near 64th Avenue, which sells imported products from Britain,Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

鈥淲e were pleased with the British and Irish products they had until we got to the checkout andnoticed they were selling Golliwog memorabilia,鈥� Walker said.

Walker told the Black Press Media that she didn鈥檛 say anything at the time because shewanted to research the dolls before contacting the store.

鈥淚 just wanted to let them know that it was a very offensive item鈥� Walker said.

鈥淢y dad is black. He鈥檚 from the [U.S] south.鈥�

Walker said the dolls may have been fine at one time, but times have changed.

鈥淔or me, you look back and see things from years ago that were acceptable, now, it鈥檚 not okay,鈥�

Walker said.

鈥淚 think the number of those offended is bigger than those who have affection for them.鈥�

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Bowles said complaints about the dolls have been rare.

鈥淚n 20 years, we have only had four or five people say something,鈥� he said.

鈥淭here are dozens and dozens of [British import] stores in Canada鈥� that sell the dolls, Bowlesadded.

Linda Hazelton said she was 鈥渟hocked鈥� by the suggestion the dolls were racist.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a kid鈥檚 tale. It鈥檚 not a racist thing at all,鈥� she said.

鈥淪he鈥檚 [Walker] being oversensitive.鈥�

Hazelton said the store caters to 鈥淓nglish, Scottish, Irish and Welsh鈥� customers who grew up withthe children鈥檚 books.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a childhood memory for those people,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e sell tons of them.鈥�

鈥淭hey sell them in England. They鈥檙e not banned anywhere.鈥�

Golliwog dolls are based on a character in an 1895 children鈥檚 book called The Adventures of TwoDutch Dolls and a Golliwogg by British author Florence Kate Upton, who described the character as鈥渢he blackest gnome.鈥�

It was a popular children鈥檚 toy in many European countries, but in recent years has become amagnet for controversy, with critics saying the doll was based on blackface worn by whiteperformers who crudely stereotyped black people.

According to a number of historical sources, the doll inspired the racial slur 鈥渨og.鈥�

Because of that, Hazelton and Bowles said, the toys are now called 鈥淕olly鈥� dolls.

In recent years, the controversy has led British jam makers Robertson鈥檚 to drop its trademarkGolliwog mascot and in Australia, Arnott鈥檚 Golliwog chocolate biscuit was renamed the Scalliwag.

However, when a 2018 poll asked 1,660 Britons whether it was 鈥渞acist to sell or display a golliwogdoll,鈥� it found most didn鈥檛 see a problem, with 63 per cent responding 鈥渘o,鈥� 20 per cent 鈥測es,鈥� and17 per cent 鈥� not sure.鈥�

The Ferris State University 鈥溾�� website said Golliwog dollswere the 鈥渓east known of the major anti-black caricatures in the United States.

Professor Dr. David Pilgrim said the character 鈥渙ften reflected negative beliefs about blacks[portraying them as] thieves, miscreants, incompetents.鈥�