Barbie Released 10 New Dolls To Make Black Girls Feel More Represented
When it comes to toys, every child wants to feel like they matter and that they have role models to look up to. It’s really no surprise that when playing with dolls or action figures, we prefer them to look like us, no matter our race, ethnicity, or background. It helps with immersion. It helps foster a sense of belonging and inclusivity.
In order to make black girls feel more represented, Mattel has created a line of 10 new Barbie dolls. And it just so happens to coincide with Black History Month which is celebrated each February in the United States.
Barbie’s parent company Mattel collaborated with talented costume designer Shiona Turini to create a new line of realistic dolls with different skin tones, hairstyles, and even body types. In other words, Barbie dolls just got a whole lot more inclusive.
More info: ShionaTurini.com | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram (Barbie Style)
Costume designer Shiona Turini partnered up with Barbie to create the new line of dolls
Image credits: shionat
The dolls have different hairstyles, skin tones, and body types
Image credits: shionat
According to the designer, this made her childhood dreams come true
Image credits: shionat
Image credits: shionat
Designer Turini was over the Moon that Barbie approached her for this project. She noted that her “childhood dreams” came true.
“My vision was to style diverse and realistic Barbie dolls in bold looks with themes seen throughout my work, like contrasting snakeskin and leopard, challenging traditional uniformity. I grew up obsessed with Barbie and while she was one of my first fashion icons, I clearly remember searching shelves for girl’s toys that looked like me and coming up empty-handed,” she wrote on Instagram.
Barbie recently brought back the very first black doll they made for its 40th anniversary
Image credits: barbie
What most inspired her was the very first black Barbie which was released in 1980. The doll wore a sparkling red dress and had an Afro. Mattel recently brought this doll back for its 40th anniversary.
Mattel has been doing more and more inclusive Barbie makeovers. Recently, it released a gender-neutral doll, created the Barbie Wellness line, and created Judge Barbie.
Back in 2018, in time for International Women’s Day, Mattel unveiled a line of 17 dolls from diverse backgrounds to celebrate extraordinary women, aka ‘sheroes.’ Among the women that Barbie looks up to are Amelia Earhart and Frida Kahlo.
Some people shared their thoughts about Barbie dolls and inclusivity
What is wrong with some of you people? You want representation, Barbie give you representation but still complain about the representation not being good enough? Good lord, stop!
Don't "you people" me! I am one black person and I represent only myself. Those dolls are fine as far as I'm concerned. But just like some white people, some Asian people and some of every other group people, there are some black people who complain no matter what. It's on you if they are the only ones you're listening to.
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Honestly, economically motivated or not, it's about time for this. I never saw myself in my blonde/blue-eyed Barbie dolls when I was a kid (which might be a good thing since I could never keep them intact), but I guess there's just... something about being recognized as a valid type of human being.
I remember there were African and Asian Barbie dolls too in the 1990s, but they were indeed not easy to find, and the Mattel toys in general were too expensive. My sister and I had an Asian one, which was much appreciated because she was different and unique.
I had Miko and Christie. Miko was Hawaiian, but also looked Asian. Christie was African American.
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Good job Internet Randos; you have yet again confirmed my belief that most human beings are trash deep inside, and I'm pleased to say my heart grew three sizes too "GTFO." Special shout-out to @Patron Saint whom is so putrescent as a human, maggots fell out of the earpiece any time I lingered too long over one of their hateful comments. Bonus "s****y garbage person" points t'yis for using one of the most vile slurs against Black people on a post that is celebrating (to some extant) the existence of Black beauty and diversity. I hope you drive drunk and die. I wish you cancer. Sleep poorly, and may you marry a ghost and birth a devil, you rancid bag of old baby diapers.
You tell em Lou Lopez. Likely these are just a bunch of sad men whose little joys in life are saying uproarious ugly things for attention as they're own material life has so little of it.
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wow 61 years later , good for them for thinking , extremely late but yeah at least they had the African girls in mind
Isn't there a way to report him. If you look at PS's history it's toxic comments and nothing more. He's just here to fight and bully people. Yuk. Maybe that's the way to shut him up. Talk about him. Not to him.
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This is just my opinion as a black woman: The black community doesn't need Barbie dolls to feel included in society, we just need to be included in society. Also some of these comments about the accessories that should come with these dolls are completely inappropriate. I do like fried chicken, but I am allergic to watermelons and I don't own a gun or a knife. I wish that people could get these stereotypes out of their heads and just accept people for who they are. These dolls are unnecessary, but only because little girls don't need plastic role models, they need real life ones.
Love the topic of this piece, but let’s not say sheroes. If you have to differentiate female heroes from heroes in general, which is a pretty divisive move in lots of circles, can we just use the word heroine? Sheroes kinda feels patronizing
These are gorgeous. I want them. I had one of the ear!y Evening Enchantment Barbies. I didn't see myself in her. These are wonderful dolls for children to identify with. My daughter had dolls of races different than ours and she loved them all.
Truth to be told, children don't give a f**k if a doll is white, black, green, pink, blue or whatever.
You might want to check out Kenneth and Mamie Clark's “Doll Test”. By the way, Some parents might care about what they buy their children.
Load More Replies...
There is also a hispanic amputee barbie who actually has hair texture and a relateable body
They look really cool, I'd love to add some to my collection! I'm confused though about the 'first black Barbie' being in 1980. What about Julia? She was made in the '60s. My mom had one and she said she had a friend who loved to play with it but she only could when her parents weren't looking. Fortunately racism wasn't passed down to the next generation in that family!
I need these doll so I can give them out to my friends(There all black)
When I was young there were no Barbie dolls in our country and I had always dreamt of having one...so later I bought quite a few for my daughter, some of them are quite unique, and we will never get rid of them. I would really like to have one of those, they are beautiful!
If any of these dolls makes it into regular production, then it's an "inclusive effort." Otherwise Mattel is just feeding collectors.
Are you kidding me. Different body types everyone has long skinny perfect legs. Do not see one their shaped like a black woman either. The one in the comments that a lady bought at Christmas time was the most normal body type. None of these are very far off the regular mold they have.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1679596608848163&id=100003935210151 A Social Media Campaign on Dowry System. Please share your valuable views.
Not being funny, but I don't hear any other races asking for their own line of barbies?
Just because you "dont hear it" does not mean it is not happening, you get that right?
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Just changed skin color and hair. What about the face.? A bigger nose and lips ? What about the body ? Another 20 years?? Most African ladies are curve and proud of it. As a skinny African, I always heard : who likes bones are dogs, in Africa we like real meat. 😂😂
They did change the body sizes and facial features. There's quite a few new lines of Barbie that are much thicker than the original now. As well as disability inclusion ones, such as with a wheel chair, leg brace, or amputee. Not to mention STEM ones. It's come a long way.
Load More Replies... "Barbie Released 10 New Dolls To Make Black Girls Feel More Represented " -> "Barbie Released 10 New Dolls to earn more money."
What a revelation! Who would've thought the main point of running a business was to make money?
Load More Replies...
Some white people turn bubblegum pink if you stick them under a sun lamp long enough.
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So sick and fed up with "race" in any way,shape or form. How can race issues ever go away if they're brought up constantly and beaten to a pulp before moving on to the next stupid item. Race,race,race,gag,gag,gag.
Did you not read the article? They literally released a range of different body shapes
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There's a black Ken in the pic. Not sure who he likes to grind his flat crotch on.
Load More Replies... 
What is wrong with some of you people? You want representation, Barbie give you representation but still complain about the representation not being good enough? Good lord, stop!
Don't "you people" me! I am one black person and I represent only myself. Those dolls are fine as far as I'm concerned. But just like some white people, some Asian people and some of every other group people, there are some black people who complain no matter what. It's on you if they are the only ones you're listening to.
Load More Replies... Honestly, economically motivated or not, it's about time for this. I never saw myself in my blonde/blue-eyed Barbie dolls when I was a kid (which might be a good thing since I could never keep them intact), but I guess there's just... something about being recognized as a valid type of human being.
I remember there were African and Asian Barbie dolls too in the 1990s, but they were indeed not easy to find, and the Mattel toys in general were too expensive. My sister and I had an Asian one, which was much appreciated because she was different and unique.
I had Miko and Christie. Miko was Hawaiian, but also looked Asian. Christie was African American.
Load More Replies... Good job Internet Randos; you have yet again confirmed my belief that most human beings are trash deep inside, and I'm pleased to say my heart grew three sizes too "GTFO." Special shout-out to @Patron Saint whom is so putrescent as a human, maggots fell out of the earpiece any time I lingered too long over one of their hateful comments. Bonus "s****y garbage person" points t'yis for using one of the most vile slurs against Black people on a post that is celebrating (to some extant) the existence of Black beauty and diversity. I hope you drive drunk and die. I wish you cancer. Sleep poorly, and may you marry a ghost and birth a devil, you rancid bag of old baby diapers.
You tell em Lou Lopez. Likely these are just a bunch of sad men whose little joys in life are saying uproarious ugly things for attention as they're own material life has so little of it.
Load More Replies... wow 61 years later , good for them for thinking , extremely late but yeah at least they had the African girls in mind
Isn't there a way to report him. If you look at PS's history it's toxic comments and nothing more. He's just here to fight and bully people. Yuk. Maybe that's the way to shut him up. Talk about him. Not to him.
Load More Replies... This is just my opinion as a black woman: The black community doesn't need Barbie dolls to feel included in society, we just need to be included in society. Also some of these comments about the accessories that should come with these dolls are completely inappropriate. I do like fried chicken, but I am allergic to watermelons and I don't own a gun or a knife. I wish that people could get these stereotypes out of their heads and just accept people for who they are. These dolls are unnecessary, but only because little girls don't need plastic role models, they need real life ones.
Love the topic of this piece, but let’s not say sheroes. If you have to differentiate female heroes from heroes in general, which is a pretty divisive move in lots of circles, can we just use the word heroine? Sheroes kinda feels patronizing
These are gorgeous. I want them. I had one of the ear!y Evening Enchantment Barbies. I didn't see myself in her. These are wonderful dolls for children to identify with. My daughter had dolls of races different than ours and she loved them all.
Truth to be told, children don't give a f**k if a doll is white, black, green, pink, blue or whatever.
You might want to check out Kenneth and Mamie Clark's “Doll Test”. By the way, Some parents might care about what they buy their children.
Load More Replies... There is also a hispanic amputee barbie who actually has hair texture and a relateable body
They look really cool, I'd love to add some to my collection! I'm confused though about the 'first black Barbie' being in 1980. What about Julia? She was made in the '60s. My mom had one and she said she had a friend who loved to play with it but she only could when her parents weren't looking. Fortunately racism wasn't passed down to the next generation in that family!
I need these doll so I can give them out to my friends(There all black)
When I was young there were no Barbie dolls in our country and I had always dreamt of having one...so later I bought quite a few for my daughter, some of them are quite unique, and we will never get rid of them. I would really like to have one of those, they are beautiful!
If any of these dolls makes it into regular production, then it's an "inclusive effort." Otherwise Mattel is just feeding collectors.
Are you kidding me. Different body types everyone has long skinny perfect legs. Do not see one their shaped like a black woman either. The one in the comments that a lady bought at Christmas time was the most normal body type. None of these are very far off the regular mold they have.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1679596608848163&id=100003935210151 A Social Media Campaign on Dowry System. Please share your valuable views.
Not being funny, but I don't hear any other races asking for their own line of barbies?
Just because you "dont hear it" does not mean it is not happening, you get that right?
Load More Replies... Just changed skin color and hair. What about the face.? A bigger nose and lips ? What about the body ? Another 20 years?? Most African ladies are curve and proud of it. As a skinny African, I always heard : who likes bones are dogs, in Africa we like real meat. 😂😂
They did change the body sizes and facial features. There's quite a few new lines of Barbie that are much thicker than the original now. As well as disability inclusion ones, such as with a wheel chair, leg brace, or amputee. Not to mention STEM ones. It's come a long way.
Load More Replies... "Barbie Released 10 New Dolls To Make Black Girls Feel More Represented " -> "Barbie Released 10 New Dolls to earn more money."
What a revelation! Who would've thought the main point of running a business was to make money?
Load More Replies... Some white people turn bubblegum pink if you stick them under a sun lamp long enough.
Load More Replies... So sick and fed up with "race" in any way,shape or form. How can race issues ever go away if they're brought up constantly and beaten to a pulp before moving on to the next stupid item. Race,race,race,gag,gag,gag.
Did you not read the article? They literally released a range of different body shapes
Load More Replies... There's a black Ken in the pic. Not sure who he likes to grind his flat crotch on.
Load More Replies... 
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