Name: Flo Jo
Made by and When: L.J.N., 1989
Material: Vinyl
Marks: ©1989 L.J.N./MADE IN CHINA (on the body)
Height: 12 inches
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: Rooted long black hair, painted brown eyes, smiling mouth with painted teeth area
Clothes: Wears a fashionable iconic one-legger pink and turquoise track suit; accessories include a gold lamé tote bag, a pair of white running shoes, a brush and a full set of colorful Flo Jo nail stickers.
Other: The Flo Jo doll is a portrait of the late Florence Griffith-Joyner, the 1988 Olympics winner of three gold medals and a silver in track. A fashionista herself, Flo Jo designed her track uniforms and her clothes. L.J.N. sold extra boxed fashions for the Flo Jo Doll. Two of these are illustrated in the slideshow along with additional pictures of the doll.
Florence Griffith Joyner remains the fastest woman in history. The records she set in 1988 for the 100- and 200-meter races are unbroken. Additional information about this track phenom includes the following:
– Grew up in Watts, California.
– Played with Barbies and designed clothes for her dolls as a child.
-Maintained an adult interest in fashion design.
-1983 graduate of UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
-1984 Olympics, won a silver medal in the 200-meter run.
-1987 married Alfredrick Alphonso (Al) Joyner, the Olympic triple jump champion of 1984. To this union was born one child, a daughter, Mary Joyner, who was a contestant in season 7 of America’s Got Talent.
-1988 Olympics, won three gold medals and a silver.
-1988 retired from sports.
-Sister-in-law and friend to track and field Olympic gold, silver, and bronze winner, Jackie Joyner Kersee.
-In addition to designing her own track suits, Flo Jo designed uniforms for the Indiana Pacers basketball team which were worn for the 1990 through 1997 seasons.
-In 1992, established the Florence Griffith-Joyner Youth Foundation to help underprivileged children. It is located in San Diego, California.
-In 1993, appointed co-chair of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness by President Bill Clinton.
-Born on the 21st of December 1959, Florence Delorez Griffith-Joyner died in her sleep from asphyxiation during an epileptic seizure on the 21st of September 1998.
Slideshow (Use the right arrow to advance to the next image.)
_________
Your comments are valued. Donations aid the initiative to preserve Black-doll history.
If you subscribe to DeeBeeGee’s Virtual Black Doll Museum™ by email, be sure to click the post title in the email, which links to the website to view all text and associated media. Please “like” and share this installation with your social media doll contacts. To subscribe, add your email address to the subscribe or sign-up field in the footer or right sidebar.
DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum™ 