The first Black Barbie is joined by other Black Barbies that followed: Reproduction of the 1st Black Barbie (2009), the 40th Anniversary Black Barbie (2019), Mattel's 75th Anniversary Barbie (2020), and Fashionista #221 to celebrate Barbie's 65th Anniversary (2023)
I am enjoying the press coverage the Black Barbie documentary is receiving. I also enjoyed viewing the documentary at 1 a.m. on June 19th, and I'll watch it again.
It's undisputed that the first Black doll named Barbie had a significant impact on the doll world and in the world of Barbie lovers in general, particularly, Black children, adults (mostly women), and other people of color. Black Barbie quelled the desire for them to see themselves in a doll that was not just a friend of Barbie, but one that embodies the ideal of the "it" doll that has, can do, and be anything. Why? Because representation matters.
Before the first Black Barbie, all others stood on the sidelines idolizing the original first American fashion doll with a mature bosom that gained and has maintained iconic status. It took 21 years for Mattel to relent and allow the once standalone white Barbie title to be shared by a Black doll, which was not intended to diminish the original doll's place in doll society, but to give the Black doll the appearance of equal standing while allowing Black children to see themselves in Barbie, too.
Watch the trailer:
If you've viewed the documentary, please share your thoughts in a comment. Thanks!
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
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As illustrated in the above screenshot, the manufacturer of Jesui describes the doll's complexion as "black."
A reader who identified themselves as one of the research and development marketing assistants for the Queban line of dolls contacted me through the Contact field of this blog stating emphatically that "the BJD doll Jesui by Queban is not a black doll." They ended the email by requesting that I correct this error in my blog post dated July 28, 2022, (find the link below).
The tone of the email was rather harsh with the person taking a "know-it-all" stance about the doll line. My reply iterated that my post never mentioned the doll's ethnicity. Ialso included the screen snapshot shown above from the Amazon buy page wherein the doll's complexion is described by Queban as black. This person's email was, therefore, pointless. If they were truly an R&D assistant for the product, they obviously missed the company's intent regarding the doll's hip-hop background (which originated with Black culture) and their description of the doll's black complexion (which is actually caramel).
Jesui has black-rooted hair, blue eyes, freckles, and a caramel complexion.
The intrusive email was brief but the false sense of entitlement that demanded I "correct" the doll's ethnicity did not sit well with me at all. My reply was as polite as possible after "reading" the email and "reading" the writer's overall intent to exert a sense of authority and superiority by demanding I change something that did not need changing.
For that reader and others who see light-complexioned dolls as "not black," the newsflash is this: dolls that represent Black people and others of African descent are now manufactured in all colors of the African color spectrum.
My mother is shown with her coworkers and the doctor for whom they worked in this February 19, 1988, "reunion" photograph taken a few years after the doctor retired from practice. (Rest peacefully mama, we will always miss your beautiful, graceful, elegant, caring, God-fearing presence.)
Black people (like my dear mother who transitioned on November 25, 2022,—the reason I have been absent from this blog) can be as fair in color as a "white" person and are often mistaken as being of Eurocentric descent. So when you see a doll with a light complexion with blue eyes and freckles like Jesui, don't automatically assume the doll represents a "white" person or that the doll cannot possibly be "black." Also, please don't assume that the person is biracial. My mother was not. The offspring of two Black parents can result in a variety of complexions.
Like the doll, Black people can have blue eyes, freckles, and pale complexions. If you're uncertain about a doll, ask the manufacturer their intent, but more importantly free your mind from being bothered by the many offerings of dolls of color that are now on the market because there are always more or other white dolls from which to choose, always. More important than anything else, know this: once a doll becomes part of a person's collection or part of a child's playthings, it can be whatever the owner wants it to be— a white doll can even be considered a Black doll's relative. How about that? This is a new day. No longer are black dolls manufactured in two colors only, blue-black or Hershey brown.
Finally, kudos to Queban for offering affordable brown-skinned BJDs that both collectors and children can enjoy. (And if you so desire, their dolls can be considered white, too.)
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.
Illustration of a brown girl in a doll shop gazing at the store's stock of dolls that do not represent her ethnicity.
Press the play arrow to view Cristina Cabral's 01/06/2022 research seminar that discusses the lack of representation of black dolls in UK toy shops.
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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.
Register through Eventbrite to attend the online presentation, "The lack of representation of Black dolls in UK toy shops."
When: January 6, 2022
Time: 14:30-15:45 GMT (8:30-9:45 CST)
Presenter: Cristina Cabral
Cristina Cabral is a researcher in the disciplines of Media and Film Studies. Her specialist areas of research are Diversity and inclusion, Race, Gender, Cultural Industries, Lusophony Studies, and Commodification of Black culture. Cristina works as a Multimedia Journalist for the Portuguese Newspaper Noticias em Portugues whilst undertaking her full-time Ph.D. at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). She is Vice President of the UK human rights and climate change research institute, Birthmark of Africa. She is a media monitor for the Media Diversity Institute and an editorial assistant in the project, Get the Trolls Out.
In this seminar, Cristina will discuss the lack of Black dolls in UK toy shops, which is the topic of her Ph.D. at SOAS.
This event will take place online and live at the Centre for Languages, Culture & Communication - South Kensington Campus.
Two ticket types are available online viewing/ Live at the CLCC (limited numbers). Please select from either of the two to confirm your place.
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.
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