A Sunday Night Collective story.

Jaleel Anthony Campbell is a joyful, wholehearted bundle of love.

He’s a multidisciplinary artist that has crafted a unique style and expression.

He’s the boy behind the dolls.

These are Jaleel’s words, and we can’t wait to see those who feel empowered by them.

A Boy Who Loved His Dolls

Born and raised in Syracuse, New York – I grew up with twin sisters, a brother, my mother, and father. The six of us lived under the roof of a 3-bedroom home in a middle class neighborhood. My twin sisters shared one room, and I shared a room with my brother. Together we spent hours playing outside with other kids – it was the quintessential Black upbringing.

Except, one thing. There was one thing that always felt different.

I enjoyed being outside.

I enjoyed hanging out with my sisters and brother.

I enjoyed the company of new and old friends.

I enjoyed playing... with my sister’s dolls.

You see, even 3-year old Jaleel knew something was off.

Just by the looks adults consistently gave me, I knew it was “wrong.”

I felt a sense of shame come over me.

I didn’t want anyone to know what brought me true joy.

I loved playing with my sisters dolls, and what brought me happiness was written off before I even had a chance to speak up for myself. They helped me feel + express my emotions, but I couldn’t show my true colors to others – especially my father.

My father, like many of his generation, believed boys were to play sports. Piss standing up. Be a man.

Playing with dolls angered him to his core – it didn’t fit the mold of what he felt his boy should be experiencing at that age (or any age for that matter). Maybe he was afraid of how others would perceive me. Maybe he thought he was protecting me.

The reality of it?

He was causing the same pain and hurt he may have been trying to protect me from. It was a living hell for many years of my youth.

I learned as a child, if I wanted to continue playing with dolls, I had to do so in secrecy.

While I was at school during the day or asleep at night, I would hide my dolls in my closet – always on edge, trying to make sure my father (and others) didn’t catch me.

Thankfully, my father worked as a bus driver and wasn’t home ‘till dark.

It gave me just enough time between school and going to bed to play with them.

I remember playing with those dolls every minute I could as a child.

Bratz, Barbie, Cabbage Patch Kids, My Scene Dolls – anything I could get my hands on, I would grab and drift off into my imagination.

Creating intricate hairstyles.

Designing clothes from scratch.

I saw those dolls as precious items filled with an unlimited amount of possibilities.

But that secrecy led to a build up of anxiety and a need to fit into molds that society had already put in place for me. For the longest time, I was being told what to do and what to say that it eventually all became too much.

I’d often wonder “When will I get a chance to speak? When can I be ME?”

Well, that day is today.

Right now.

I do think about how different my life would have been had I given up on my love for these objects. But I like to think it’s amassed to something more beautiful. I no longer feel a sense of shame for my interests, and I’ve channeled all of that childhood trauma into the art and work I do today.

Through my art, I’m actively working to rebuild and expand on what is expected of Black men. Jalethal Dolls are aimed to do exactly this. They are gender-inclusive dolls in which I hope to enable real conversation and expression from those that may share a similar story.

My sister’s dolls were my pride and joy. My art and Jalethal Dolls are my way of sharing my nostalgic, beloved feelings with the world. I only hope I can share at least a fraction of what they have given me to you.

– Jaleel Anthony Campbell

Now that I’m crying, what’s next?

As you can see, Jaleel’s story is something that many people can relate to. It’s something that brings up a bout of emotion and creates a lasting impact on those that have a chance to meet Jaleel or come across his work.

We’re excited to collaborate with Jaleel to bring his story to life with web3. We see an opportunity to share an impactful story through a new medium in a way that hasn’t been done before.

We’ll be working with Jaleel to create something dynamic, bringing soul to NFTs and the web3 community.

More to come on this soon, but in the meantime, pop over to Twitter, @jaleeljblige + @sundaynightsxyz, and show Jaleel some love.

WAGMI, frens!