The first Black fashion doll to take on the Barbie name was released in 1980. Now, 43 years later, director, writer, and producer Lagueria Davis, is telling the story of the first Black Barbie in a documentary to explore the intergenerational impact this doll has had on Black women. This post was written by Meagan Keane and originally appeared on Adobe blog on Mar. 10, 2023. It all started with a seemingly simple question from the filmmaker’s 84-year old aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell, who asked, “Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?” Black Barbie: A Documentary gives a voice to the insights and experiences of Mitchell who spent 45-years working at the toy company, Mattel, and discusses how the absence of Black images in the “social mirror” left Black girls with little other than white subjects for self-reflection and self-projection. Mitchell and other Black women in the film talk about their own, complex, varied experience of not seeing themselves represented, and how Black Barbie’s transformative arrival affected them personally. Read More...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Friday, 31 March, 2023