Historic Wave Of Retirements Is Straining Federal Government — Could Shutdown Make It Worse?
The federal government is spending about 16% more on federal employee retirements this year compared to last year.
There has been a historic wave of federal retirements and departures in the workforce, putting a strain on the government. The backlog is worsening amid the government shutdown as it enters the second week.
As first reported by The Washington Post, there has been an unprecedented mass exodus at the federal level. At least 154,000 federal employees accepted buyout offers. Among them are over 100,000 employees who took regular retirement, which is an estimated 18% increase from the previous year.
There are more than 10,000 cases still waiting to be processed. Adding to the backlog is the government shutdown that began on Oct. 1. Some staff who handle the paperwork and payroll are currently furloughed, and there appears to be no end in sight.
Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), recently said the U.S. is “barreling” toward “one of the longest shutdowns in American history,” signaling that he has no plans of working across the aisle with Democrats to reopen the government. Democratic leaders are demanding that Republicans make concessions to healthcare and expand the health subsidies for Americans under the Affordable Care Act, which are expected to expire at the end of the year.
OPM Remains ‘Optimistic’ About Powering Through Federal Retirements Backlog
Despite the backlog that some fear will only worsen, Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Scott Kupor, said that he remains optimistic his office will power through it.
“I’m excited about the work we’re doing, but the reality is, as you know, is there is a big volume that’s coming in a short period of time, and so we’re going to have to do everything we can to make sure that we continue to invest in those efforts that are going to improve the efficiency of the process significantly,” Kupor told The Washington Post.
The OPM has reportedly reduced its more than 3,000 personnel by about one-third through deferred resignations, early retirements, and other buyouts. The office is currently processing more than 35,000 retirements. In the last fiscal year, which ended in September, the agency processed nearly 105,000 immediate retirement cases compared with 88,608 the year prior.
Currently, the federal government is spending about 16% more on federal employee retirements this year, compared to last year, according to the Federal News Network.
Atlanta Business Tycoon Arthur Blank Puts His Millions To Good Use By Donating $50M To Four Local HBCUs
Data from the organization found Atlanta’s HBCUs contribute $1 billion of the city’s annual economic impact, in addition to being a leader in moving students from the lowest 40% of household income to the top 60%.
At a time when historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are under attack, Home Depot Founder and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is showcasing his support with a massive $50 million donation to the four institutions in Atlanta: Morehouse College, Spelman College, Morris Brown College, and Clark Atlanta University.
In a post on X, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation announced a donation of gap-scholarship funds to help students achieve their graduation goals despite financial struggles. “For many students, financial barriers—not academics —stand in the way of earning their diplomas. We’re committing $50 million over 10 years to provide gap scholarships at Clark Atlanta University (@CAU), Morehouse College (@Morehouse), Morris Brown College (@1881MorrisBrown) and Spelman College (@SpelmanCollege),” the post read.
“The gap scholarships will help students stay enrolled, graduate on time, and step into their futures with completed degrees—ready to launch careers and give back to their communities. Beginning in 2026, this program is projected to support nearly 10,000 students.”
For many students, financial barriers—not academics —stand in the way of earning their diplomas.
— Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation (@BlankFoundation) October 13, 2025
The foundation’s announcement comes just days after the Trump administration announced plans to redirect roughly $500 million in federal funding for HBCUs as another move against colleges that promote diversity in higher education, according to Fortune.
As the foundation’s largest donation to Georgia-based HBCUs to date, it’s not the first.
Spelman received a $10 million gift for an innovation lab, and Clark Atlanta, Albany State, Miles College, and Savannah State received $6 million for touch-ups to their athletic fields. “Our hope is that by helping more students earn their degrees, launch successful careers and become alumni who give back, we are investing in a cycle of opportunity that benefits young people and their families in Atlanta and communities across the nation for years to come,” the foundation said in a statement.
Praise from school leadership poured in after the announcement. Clark’s President, Dr. George T. French Jr., called the donation “transformative.” “This transformative gift empowers Clark Atlanta students to succeed and lead globally,” he said.
Dr. F. DuBois Bowman, president of Morehouse College, says the funds will determine the future for tomorrow’s leaders. “This monumental investment will empower our students to remain focused on their academic studies and ensure that their talent, ambition, hard work, and integrity, not financial hardship, will determine their futures,” Bowman said.
The foundation knows the return on investment of the donation with curate. Data from the organization found that Atlanta’s HBCUs contribute $1 billion to the city’s annual economic impact and lead in moving students from the lowest 40% of household income to the top 60%, according to WSB-TV.
D’Angelo, Neo-Soul Pioneer and Three-Time Grammy Winner, Dies at 51
The influential musician died Oct. 14 after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.
Michael Eugene Archer, the influential neo-soul architect known worldwide as D’Angelo, died Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, after a prolonged battle with cancer, his family announced. He was 51.
The Virginia native redefined contemporary rhythm and blues with just three studio albums spanning two decades, establishing himself as a generation’s most revered and elusive musical genius.
“The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life,” the Archer family said in a statement, according to Rolling Stone. “After a prolonged and courageous battle with cancer, we are heartbroken to announce that Michael D’Angelo Archer, known to his fans around the world as D’Angelo, has been called home…We are eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind.”
Born Feb. 11, 1974, in Richmond, Virginia, Archer was raised in the church, where he first honed his skills as a multi-instrumentalist. His precocious talent quickly translated to the stage; at age 18, he became a fixture at the Apollo Theater’s amateur night, winning the famed New York competition for three consecutive weeks.
His 1995 debut, Brown Sugar, instantly made him a standard-bearer for the burgeoning neo-soul genre, blending classic R&B grooves with jazz and gospel complexity. The album, fueled by charting singles “Lady,” “Cruisin’,” and the title track, earned critical raves and commercial success, launching D’Angelo into the global spotlight.
Following a nearly five-year recording hiatus, D’Angelo returned with the atmospheric and deeply sensual follow-up, Voodoo (2000). The album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, cemented his reputation as a visionary. At the 43rd GRAMMY Awards, Voodoo earned him two trophies: Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Performance for the seminal hit, “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” a song famous for its iconic, boundary-pushing music video.
After another extended break marked by well-documented personal struggles, D’Angelo staged a historic comeback with Black Messiah (2014), an album hailed as a modern classic for its charged lyrical themes and deep funk textures.
Tributes from the music community and fans poured in quickly following his death.
DJ Premier mourned the singer on X, writing, “Such a sad loss to the passing of D’angelo. We have so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep Peacefully D’ Love You KING.”
Beyond his recordings, D’Angelo was recognized for his philanthropic efforts; a portion of the proceeds from his Voodoo II tour in 2000 was dedicated to the Magic Johnson Foundation, supporting scholarships for qualified minority students.
D’Angelo is survived by his three children, including his son Michael, whose mother was the songstress Angie Stone. Stone was tragically killed in February.
T-Pain Connects With Croc To Release Limited Edition ‘Boots with the Fur’
The Classic Unfurgettable Leopard Knee High Boot will go on sale Oct. 23
Recording artist T-Pain collaborated with footwear company Crocs to release “Croc boots with the fur,” during what the company has termed Croctober.
The company announced that on Oct. 23, it is releasing the “Classic Unfurgettable Leopard Knee High Boot” in association with the Florida singer. T-Pain recently appeared in an Instagram post to alert his fans that he has been in the lab with the Crocs team to produce the latest footwear by the company. The reference to the boots with fur goes back to the 2008 song he recorded with Flo Rida, “Low.”
“Croctober is our love letter to the fans,” said Carly Gomez, Chief Marketing Officer at Crocs, in a written statement. “They’ve always been the heartbeat of our brand, and this year, we’re celebrating their creativity, individuality, and boldness in ways they have truly only dreamed of.”
The company has dubbed Oct. 23 as “Crocs Day.” Croc has stated that this boot is the company’s tallest silhouette ever. The furry boot, as a limited edition, stands at 35.4 inches (90 cm) and is wrapped in plush, vegan leopard-print fur, featuring 17 Jibbitz charms, chains, and embellishments that embody self-expression.
For those interested in picking up Croc’s latest item, the Classic Unfurgettable Leopard Knee High Boot, you can purchase them on Crocs.com. If you happen to be in the New York City area, you can head to the Crocs SoHo store, which is located at 543 Broadway.
Along with the news of the recent release, Crocs has also announced the official launch of a fan-first celebration, offering fans more fan-led content and surprise product giveaways.
Earlier this year, T-Pain added zeros to the back of his bank account when he sold his publishing catalog and select masters to HarbourView Equity Partners.
The six-time Grammy-winning songwriter has sold over 50 million records and has had 10 No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100.
These Black Authors Wrote Books About Their Breast Cancer Experience
This list gathers stories of survival
There’s no denying that breast cancer is quite the journey for countless individuals; however, Black women across the diaspora confront especially stark disparities in care and experience. They are diagnosed later; the tumors are frequently more aggressive, and the outcomes are consequently poorer. Books written by Black authors frame the hurdles and offer insight grounded in lived experience. This 11‑book list gathers stories of survival and resilience, delivers practical knowledge, critiques inequities, and points toward pathways of hope.
The Cancer Journals
Audre Lorde’s The Cancer Journals collects a series of essays and diary fragments that trace her experience of a mastectomy. In the work, the writer and activist unpacks illness, identity, and mortality. Drawing on the intimacy of her home, the starkness of hospital rooms, and the topical issues of the United States, Lorde stakes a claim for self‑determination within the narratives of sickness.
The Black Woman’s Breast Cancer Survival Guide: Understanding and Healing in the Face of a Nationwide Crisis
Cheryl D. Holloway, both a cancer researcher and a survivor, writes a book that translates the maze of screening protocols, treatment pathways, and survivorship strategies into language for women confronting breast cancer. The guide delves into the risks, disparities, and unique needs that Black women face within the U.S. healthcare and community landscapes, where referrals often arrive too late, screenings occur less frequently, and outcomes tend to be poorer.
Black Women and Breast Cancer: A Cultural Theology
In the 2018 book “Black Women and Breast Cancer: A Cultural Theology,” public health scholar Elizabeth A. Williams probes how Black women ascribe meaning to breast cancer through the intertwined lenses of faith, community, and identity. The work reveals how spiritual frameworks become woven into coping strategies, acts of resistance, healing journeys, and survivorship narratives, all set against the backdrop of health disparities.
Health, Communication and Breast Cancer among Black Women: Culture, Identity, Spirituality, and Strength
Annette D. Madlock Gatison’s “Health, Communication and Breast Cancer, among Black Women: Culture, Identity, Spirituality and Strength” probes how Black women discuss breast cancer, tracing the interplay of discourse, self‑definition, and the “strong woman” narrative. The analysis shows that the communicative tactics women employ shape their agency, confront stigma, and negotiate identity throughout their cancer journeys, areas where mainstream health messaging often falls short by overlooking influences. Conducted between 2016 and 2018, the study unfolded in U.S. healthcare environments within Black women’s communities.
This Is Only A Test: What Breast Cancer Taught Me about Faith, Love, Hair, and Business
Chris‑Tia Donaldson’s memoir, This Is Only A Test, draws from her roles as entrepreneur and breast‑cancer survivor, charting a raw, unfiltered trek through treatment, faith, the grind of running a business, shifting self‑image, and the stark reality of hair loss. First issued in 2019, the book strives to lift the veil of stigma that still clings to cancer while illustrating how a Black woman can cling to her identity, chase professional ambitions, nurture relationships, and stay anchored in faith throughout diagnosis and the long road to recovery.
Dig In Your Heels: The Glamorous (and Not So Glamorous) Life of a Young Breast Cancer Survivor
“Dig In Your Heels: The Glamorous (and Not Glamorous) Life of a Young Breast Cancer Survivor,” by Karla Antoinette Baptiste, reads like an unfiltered diary of what it feels like to emerge from breast cancer treatment in one’s 30s. Baptiste, a survivor, writer, and unapologetic truth‑teller, lays bare the mix of hope and hardship that defines her post‑diagnosis world from the wrenching questions around fertility and the shifting relationship with her body to the relentless juggle of building a career. Published in 2015, the memoir deliberately shines a light on a demographic often left in the shadows: Black women confronting cancer early in life, thereby plugging a glaring void in survivorship narratives.
Surviving Paris: A Memoir of Healing in the City of Light
Journalist and two‑time breast cancer survivor Robin Allison Davis chronicles her relocation to Paris during the unsettling reality of a breast cancer diagnosis while living abroad. Published in September 2025, the memoir probes how the city’s geography, its healthcare system, the loneliness of exile, and the nuances of cultural identity intertwine in shaping a woman’s cancer journey from home.
The Little Black Book: What Every Black Woman Needs to Know About Breast Cancer
Jackie Johnson’s The Little Black Book: Breast Cancer Awareness, Prevention, Risk and Advocacy, for Black Women serves as a purpose‑crafted text for women, sharing early‑detection cues, preventive tactics, personal risk appraisal, and avenues for engagement. The work was first published in 2012. By zeroing in on the risk factors Black women face, it equips them with actionable guidance, something most awareness materials overlook by remaining overly generic.
Celebrating Life: African American Women Speak Out About Breast Cancer
“Celebrating Life: African American Women Speak Out About Breast Cancer” is an anthology that gathers a chorus of testimonies, reflections, and coping tactics from 62 Black breast‑cancer survivors across the United States. The collection, issued in the mid‑2000s, unfolds a mosaic of experiences from women spanning a range of backgrounds. It underscores how cancer experiences shift with class, access to resources, faith, and community support amplifying voices and reminding that the disease is anything but an experience.
The Terrible Stories
After a breast cancer diagnosis, the celebrated African American poet Lucille Clifton assembled the collection The Terrible Stories, which appeared in 1996. In its pages, Clifton maps the terrain of suffering, offering a charged, aesthetically rich view of illness as felt by a Black woman. Lament, memory, and the stubborn act of survival become the poems’ witnesses, silently bearing testimony to her experience.
8 Reasons You Should Attend BLACK ENTERPRISE’s XCEL Summit For Men
Unsure why you should join other corporate and entrepreneurial professionals at the 2025 XCEL Summit For Men? Here are 8 reasons.
The XCEL Summit For Men is taking over the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Orlando. From Oct. 15-17, Black men in corporate America will gather for a weekend of growth, professional development, and more.
BLACK ENTERPRISE will honor trailblazers in business and Black culture. Simultaneously, a bevy of workshops, panels, and fireside chats will take place.
The XCEL Summit For men is structured to lift Black men in business by growing their personal and professional skill sets. As diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are stripped from corporate America, it is more important than ever to invest in self. Entrepreneurs, C-suite executives, and up-and-coming businessmen serve to gain tactical and practical tools to thrive in the office. If you want to know more, check out these eight reasons to attend the 2025 XCEL Summit For Men.
Panel discussions
The Black Men XCEL Summit 2024
Engage with professionals as they guide you through the steps to advancement in corporate settings. Furthermore, panels will explore the importance of seeking opportunities in traditionally Black spaces and money management.
Panel discussions include:
Leveraging Your Performance Review for Career Success
Get What You Deserve: How to Negotiate Your Compensation Package
Started at the Bottom: From the Frontline to the Executive Suite
Success is Academic: Career Opportunities at HBCUs
Financial Planning: From Making Money to Making Your Money Work
XCEL Awards
LEFT to RIGHT: BLACK ENTERPRISE CEO Earl “Butch” Graves
Celebrate the achievements of trailblazers whose leadership and influence have paved a path for other Black men to follow. Honorees include Larry Fitzgerald Jr., philanthropist and investor, and founder of the Larry Fitzgerald Foundation; John Hope Bryant, CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc., and Bryant Group Ventures LLC; George C. Fraser, founder of FraserNet Inc.; and Rev. Dr. Franklyn Richardson, chairman of the Conference of National Black Churches.
Executive coaching
(Photo: RDNE Stock project/Pexels)
Gain one-on-one guidance from top executives and seasoned professionals. These sessions are designed to help you develop leadership skills, navigate your career path, and create a strategic plan for achieving personal and professional excellence.
AI In Corporate
Explore the future of work with sessions like A.I. at Work: Essential A.I. Tools for Busy Executives and How to Master AI for Career ROI. Learn how to leverage AI for career success, understand its impact on various industries, and stay ahead in an evolving digital world.
Cliff Wolery, head of portfolio marketing at Kapor Capital, will lend his expertise to the conversation as the featured speaker.
Social Awareness: Mobilizing For Progress
Journalist Ed Gordon (BLACK ENTERPRISE)
Ed Gordon, veteran journalist and 2024 Excel Honoree, will lead a candid discussion on the future. The current government administration is growing increasingly aggressive in its resistance to Black progress. As a result, political and economic leadership from the communities’ best and brightest is needed. Gordon will helm the discussion, with George C. Fraser, as Black men set the agenda for themselves professionally, personally, and politically.
Guest Speakers
(Photo: HOTSPOTATL, CC BY 3.0 Wikimedia Commons)
David Banner has been confirmed as a guest speaker for the summit. The producer and activist has enjoyed a career spanning over two decades. The businessman is poised and ready to share his story and the lessons he’s learned along the way.
Mental Health
(Photo: SDI Productions/Getty Images)
BLACK ENTERPRISE knows that health is wealth. To thrive and build generational wealth, both physical and mental health must be nurtured. The mortality rates for men due to self-harm are staggering. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “males make up 50% of the population but nearly 80% of suicides.” The mental health discussions are geared toward creating balance in a hectic world.
Networking: Cigar Bar
(Photo: Dylann Hendricks/Pexels)
XCEL Summit For Men’s organizers acknowledge that all work and no play is not the best way. That’s why rest is built into the agenda. Take some downtime to explore Orlando or wind down in the after-hours Cigar Bar. If maximizing time is the goal, take the opportunity to network with other cigar aficionados.
The XCEL Summit For Men is an event that will leave your mind ripe with ideas, fill your professional toolbox full, and rejuvenate your mental and physical well-being. Visit the official event website for more information.
Marc Lamont Hill’s Fiery Exchange On Joe Budden Podcast Sparks Talk Of A ‘Black Intellectual Renaissance’
Marc Lamont Hill's fiery on-air exchange with QueenzFlip sparks talk about the birth of the "Black intellectual renaissance."
Marc Lamont Hill is trending after a heated on-air exchange with fellow Joe Budden Podcast co-host QueenzFlip, about the “tricky words” he allegedly uses to sway fans.
Viral clips circulating on social media from Joe Budden’s latest Patreon-exclusive episode capture the moment QueenzFlip confronted Hill over alleged behind-the-scenes conversations the college professor had with Budden about the show and his compensation. According to QueenzFlip, Hill uses “tricky words” to manipulate public opinion in his favor, a claim Hill was quick to dismiss.
“No, I don’t. I say regular words, that’s tricky to you,” Hill shot back in a clip shared on X.
The on-air clash did more than spark buzz around the Joe Budden Podcast; it sparked a broader cultural conversation about the “Black intellectual renaissance” underway. Hill, a respected academic who has served as a CNN analyst, published author, and professor at institutions like Temple University and now the CUNY Graduate Center, often brings a scholarly lens to the show’s hip-hop and pop culture debates.
Watching him go head-to-head with QueenzFlip, a social media personality who built his platform through viral hip-hop reaction videos, struck many viewers as symbolic. As one Instagram user put it, the moment felt like a “Black intellectual renaissance.”
“S/o@marclamonthill and the Black intellectual renaissance we’re currently experiencing,” Instagram user Saint Chubbz wrote on Threads. “This clip got me fired up. The smart ni—a revolution is here, the takeover is coming. Get down or lay down. If you in our way, you might get smacked.”
One user explained how the argument highlights a “core” issue within the Black community. Those who “read and apply themselves,” versus “those who just spew OPINION and try to relay it as fact because other people agree with them.”
“Flip does not THINK. He is PURELY REACTIONARY and that’s the same for a lot of Underperforming Black men,” the user wrote. “They get a little money and think they’re on the same wavelength as a literal POLITICAL ACTIVIST.”
“One day we’ll have long, serious convos about anti-intellectualism in the black community… because this shows a lot of it,” added another.
“This is one of those ‘smartest people in the room’ situations. Marc gotta get outta there,” one fan wrote.
“The quiet of other cohosts led me to believe there’s a lot more being said behind Marc’s back than to his face… and that’s a problem,” added someone else.
Candace Parker, Sloane Stephens Invest In ‘Project B,’ Up-And-Coming Global Basketball League
The league has plans to start playing tournaments in fall of next year.
Women sports stars like Candace Parker and Sloane Stephens are joining a new basketball league that grants players equity.
The WNBA legend and U.S. Open title-holder are the latest investors in the upcoming professional basketball league currently called “Project B.” According to Front Office Sports, Project B hopes to debut games in Fall 2026. Expected tournaments will take place in international hotspots across Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Its investment group is currently led by Geoffrey Prentice, co-founder of Skype, and Grady Burnett, a former Facebook executive. The league will boast five-on-five men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, while helping players score a bigger bag.
“We’re paying multiples higher than is available right now in the world of women’s sports,” Burnett told FOS. “We are paying the highest salaries and equity packages in women’s team sports, and this will be some of the best players in the world. We want this to be incredible basketball.”
However, Parker and Stephens are not the only sports giants pooling their resources into the effort. Another tennis star, Novak Djokovic, as well as former WNBA player Alana Beard and ex-NFL quarterback Steve Young, have also joined the investor roster.
Beard also shares a brief insight into how Project B players can capitalize on this opportunity by generating this marketing value.
“The players are our partners; they’re one of our most significant stakeholders. They are creating value, and getting paid for that value,” explained Beard.
The venture hopes to follow the footsteps of another alternative basketball league, Unrivaled, which focuses on three-on-three matchups between female players. The league offers an extra earning opportunity for players during the WNBA and collegiate off-season, allowing them to supplement their incomes while building their brands beyond the Women’s National Basketball Association.
The league initially planned to raise $5 billion to change how spectators and players engage with the sport. However, partners have yet to release exact numbers on raised capital.
Once dubbed the “Maverick Carter league,” the development has since gone on without LeBron James’ business partner. Despite this, Beard emphasized how they still intend to create “elite basketball” on a global stage.
The Women’s Hall of Famer added, “This is not a gimmick. We’re playing five-on-five, we’re playing elite basketball. We want the best of the best playing in our league. That’s a full stop.”
As they secure more funding, additional partners include Quiet Capital, Mangrove Capital, and Sequence Equity.
Missing 20-Year-Old New Jersey Midshipman Discovered Dead Near Annapolis Naval Academy
Kyle Philbert James was found dead a day after being reported missing
Second Class Kyle Philbert James, a Navy Midshipman who was reported missing Oct. 9, was found dead near the Annapolis, Maryland campus, and the United States Naval Academy is now investigating his death.
According to Report Annapolis News, the 20-year-old James was discovered dead Oct. 10, a day after he was reported missing at the academy. No details were released about his disappearance, where he was found, or the cause of death. James’ family confirmed his remains were discovered near the Naval Academy. An autopsy has been planned to determine the soldier’s cause of death.
Officials at the Naval Academy informed James’ family that the officer did not show up to any of his classes Oct. 9 and was considered missing. They were then contacted the following evening to notify them that his remains had been discovered near the campus.
The Capital Gazette reported that James, who hailed from Whippany, New Jersey, had allegedly contacted his mother via text the morning he reportedly went missing. In the text message, he responded to a message she sent him and wrote that he loved her.
“It is painful to lose a member of our Naval Academy family, and as we attempt to better understand this tremendous loss, we offer our deepest condolences to Philbert James’ family, close friends, classmates and company mates during this extremely difficult time,” the academy said in a statement.
Officials at the academy said the Navy midshipman was in his junior year, a history major, and was a member of the academy’s gospel choir.
The Naval Academy sent an email to academy families confirming the death of Midshipman James. It stated that the Midshipmen Development Center and the chaplain center would be reaching out to fellow midshipmen.
Bratz Toy Company Called Out For Excluding Black ‘Sasha’ Doll From Hello Kitty Collab
The company issued an apology for initially leaving its Sasha doll out the marketing photos.
Bratz has issued an apology for the bad optics of leaving out Sasha, the Black doll in its signature line-up, from a collaboration with Hello Kitty.
Bratz and Sanrio, the owners over Hello Kitty, released the collector’s edition of the dolls Sept. 30. The collaboration’s theme of “celebrating individuality” meant to spark joy in fans of both beloved toy brands.
“At its core, this collaboration is about celebrating individuality and the joy of expressing yourself in your own unique way,” Jill Koch, the SVP of Brand and Marketing at Sanrio, Inc., said in a press release.
“Hello Kitty has always inspired friendship, kindness, and creativity, while Bratz encourages bold style and confidence. Together, they bring a playful energy that invites fans of all ages to embrace their true selves and share the fun of fashion and friendship.”
Upon the initial news of the high-profile partnership, fans noticed that Sasha was not part of the media rollout. The marketing photos featured the other mainstay dolls, Yasmin, Chloe, and Jade, in head-to-toe Hello Kitty gear. However, none of the photos released featured Sasha, for seemingly no reason behind the exclusion.
The comments section began to question why only one of Bratz’s core four dolls was missing from the photoshoot.
“No Sasha is kinda sus,” typed one disgruntled fan.
An additional user wrote, “Hmmm no Sasha ? Thats shady…”
One commenter also suggested that this marked another time they left Sasha out the new collaboration.
They wrote, “Another collab without Sasha.”
Debuted in 2001 by MGA Entertainment, Bratz’s initial four-product lineup celebrated girls of diverse skin tones and racial backgrounds. As a funkier alternative to the traditional Barbie doll, each of the original dolls brought their own style and racial difference to the space. With Sasha representing African Americans, many felt her recent exclusion had shadier intentions.
However, after fans called out the toy company for not including her, Bratz corrected the issue and apologized to customers. The company confirmed that Sasha would join the rollout, as well as heavily feature in upcoming collaborations.
“We’ve heard your feedback about Sasha not being part of the Bratz x Hello Kitty collab. Sasha is forever a core Bratz girl,” Bratz wrote in a statement. “The lineup for this release was determined on the Bratz side. Our friends at Sanrio have been incredible partners throughout, and together we’re thrilled to share that Sasha is joining the collaboration — more info to come soon.”
The apology addded “Your passion made it clear how much she means to you all, and we are excited to give her the spotlight she deserves. Sasha has headlined some of our biggest collaborations, and she will continue to shine in upcoming projects. Thank you for keeping the Bratz spirit alive.”
Some fans appreciate the swift correction. However, others still had questions on why Sasha was not part of the initial line-up, especially as an “OG” doll.
“Usually I love bratz, but admitting Sasha is an afterthought to y’all gives me the ick ngl,” shared a naysayer.
Another questioned, “This doesn’t suffice for me. I’d like to know the reason she was excluded to begin with?”
While Bratz has remained mum on why Sasha was not originally included, fans have made clear that they expect to see all four of the dolls included in the A-list collaborations.
