As mentioned earlier, the dolls created by Kitty Perkins made their debut in 1980. The packaging for Black Barbie read, “She's Black! She's beautiful! She's dynamite!” Citing the documentary ...

After Mattel’s culture sweeping debut of Barbie in 1959, it took nearly 17 years for the brand to come out with a version of the collectible doll that represented more than one type of skin color.

Growing up, I, like many girls, had a Barbie doll. From her spunky outfits and fun hairstyles to her various professions, the iconic toy was as much of a source of empowerment as it was enjoyment.

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 ...