The Netflix documentary “Black Barbie” examines why the doll, which was created by designer Kitty Black Perkins in 1980, holds a strong cultural significance.

"Black Barbie," directed by Lagueria Davis and produced by Shondaland's Shonda Rhimes, tells the story of how Black Barbie dolls went from being introduced as Barbie's friends starting in 1967, to ...

The first Black Barbie, which debuted in 1980, featured a doll fully immersed in her identity. Designed by Kitty Black Perkins, the doll had an Afro to complement her red dress and gold jewelry.

Mattel did introduce Black fashion dolls in the late 1960s, but they were not named Barbie, and they were marketed as Barbie's friends. So the arrival of a true Black Barbie was an important moment.

Notably, the designer for the 40th anniversary collectible Black Barbie was white. Since the blockbuster’s release, Mattel announced that Perkins will return to help design a 45th anniversary doll.

Black Barbie celebrates the momentous impact three Black women at Mattel had on the evolution of the Barbie brand as we know it," read a description from Netflix attached to the trailer.

Featuring interviews from three prominent Black Mattel employees, including Kitty Black Perkins who created the doll in 1980, the documentary tracks not just the creation and marketing (or lack ...

Barbie was a a firefighter, a teacher, an actor, a lifeguard, a doctor. But it wasn’t until 1976, when Kitty Black Perkins joined the brand as Chief Designer of Fashion Doll concepts, that ...

The newly released documentary takes a deeper look at the story behind the first Black Barbie and its impact on representation in the toy business, and culture more broadly.

Once Black Barbie hit shelves in 1980, she opened the door for more and more Black Barbies to be created — many at the hands of Perkins, who designed for Mattel until she retired.

On the surface, the documentary is about what led to the 1980 release of Black Barbie, but the issues it explores run much deeper: the harm of lacking a “social mirror,” the slow pace of ...

The trailer for Shondaland’s Black Barbie details the creation of the influential dolls, featuring interviews with the women who brought them to Mattel and others. “If you go through life, and ...