The State - News from Nov. 7, 1988

Sanrio, a Japanese toy maker, will give away $257,000 in toys as part of an apology to blacks for marketing black-faced dolls based on a turn-of-the-century children’s book about “Little Black Sambo.” The gift will benefit disadvantaged San Francisco Bay Area children. Company executives also announced exchange and cultural programs to promote racial understanding. The Congressional Black Caucus, a 23-member group of black lawmakers that has accused Japanese companies of discrimination, praised the decision. Caucus chairman Rep. Mervyn Dymally (D-Calif.) called Sanrio the only Japanese firm “that has gone beyond an apology to come up with a plan.” Sanrio, whose U.S. subsidiary is in South San Francisco, does about $40 million worth of U.S. business annually. The company has pulled its $15-million stock of the Sambo dolls from the shelves of 3,000 boutiques in Japan.