Who's watched Black Barbie on Netflix? The documentary is interesting, relevant on so many levels, and it hit home.
I grew up in a diverse family with three very distinctive-looking sisters. All of us had different hair, skin tone, and eye color. Like many young girls growing up, we had an assortment of dolls and stuffed animals to play with.
Barbie never quite resonated with me. I had my preferences, of course. We had fun redressing our Barbies in handmade clothing and cutting their hair into different styles. The Barbie Styling Head was a big deal, playing into my love for beauty early on. However, my favorite was Wonder Woman - Her skin tone was a bit darker than the other dolls, and felt more relatable. She was aspirational. Stronger. A warrior. I admired that.
Representation didn't enter the conversation until Black Barbie made her debut, designed by Kitty Black Perkins.
Even so, doll diversity took a while to gain traction, a timeline that Black Barbie explores. Perkins paved the way but still operated under Eurocentric Barbie's shadow (a shadow Mattel is still working to break out of.) Nowadays, Barbie comes in 35 skin tones and 94 hairstyles, according to their site.
Black Barbie is a must-watch for anyone interested in diversity, equity, and the cultural impact of representation in toys and media on societal perceptions.
#Representation #Diversity #Culture