Black Barbie: A Documentary

Did you know that the first Black Barbie wasn’t introduced until 1980? Learn the full story through the eyes of Beulah Mae Mitchell, who worked on the Mattel assembly line for 45 years (and is the filmmaker’s aunt), in this story of hard-fought Black representation in American media. —M.G.

We all know that the Barbie dolls many of us grew up playing with do not represent the way most women look. But with her white skin, tiny waist, blonde hair, and blue eyes, Barbie was imprinted on many little girls as the ideal image of beauty, no matter the race of her playmates. When Black Barbie hit the market in the 1980s, many people never knew she existed. The lack of a focused marketing campaign left many Black little girls without a doll they could see themselves in—symbolic for how our society has so often erased Black women from popular culture. In an effort to understand both the history, legacy, and shortcomings of the doll, BLACK BARBIE: A DOCUMENTARY captures a variety of personal stories from Barbie lovers as well as the designers and artists behind Black Barbie. Additionally, the film highlights a very special subject: filmmaker Lagueria Davis’s aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell, whose love of dolls led her to a 45-year-long career working at Mattel. —G.S.

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