Barbie was a iconic doll created by Mattel in 1959 made to represent the American ideal modern young woman. Barbie was based off of the image of a popular German doll named Bild Lilly.
Bild Lilly and Barbie shared the same look of blonde hair, blue eyes, a big bust, and a tiny waist. This particular image was the only one Barbie offered young girls until the 1960's when Christie was released.
Christie was a a part of Barbie and Friends, she was the first Black barbie doll. However, Christie lacked any black features. In fact, she was the exact same copy of Barbie painted a darker color. This upset the African American community and the doll was recalled not long after it's release.
Barbie made another attempt in 2009 which the launch of "Barbie So In Style". This was a Barbie line of young, modern, black women. Barbie's So In Style dolls had curly and straight hair textures, fuller lips, and varying skin tones. These Barbies look like black women do today and I'd say that makes Barbie successful in including young black girls to their demographic audience. It's a real sign of progress and a great thing to see other ethnic groups included in the modern media.
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