The first Black Barbie debuted in 1979, two decades after Mattel introduced the original Barbie. Before then, several Black American dolls were added to the Barbie franchise, like 'colored Francie ...

The concept of a Black Barbie doll was first floated at Mattel almost immediately after Barbie herself was created. The company responded in the late 1960s with a handful of Black dolls that were ...

In Netflix documentary "Black Barbie," out Wednesday, June 19, executive producer Shonda Rhimes, 54, alongside ballerina Misty Copeland, 41, and Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, 38, detail the ...

From blogs to mainstream news sites to parenting message boards, debate is raging over a new trio of African-American Barbie dolls. Ever since Mattel released Grace, Kara and Trichelle, at the end ...

The dolls are touted as more authentically African-American with curlier hair, wider noses and fuller lips. In Barbie’s 50-year history obviously there have been African-American Barbie dolls.

Although Mattel had introduced the Christie doll as Barbie’s friend in 1968 — and Cara would follow her in the ’70s — this was the first time an African-American bore the name of the ...

Davis opens Black Barbie with a frank admission: Before moving to Los Angeles in 2011 to pursue her filmmaking dreams, the director hated dolls. It wasn’t until she lived with her aunt Beulah ...

Barbie dolls dressed to the nines for the 2000 Olympics are displayed by Mattel at the American International Toy Fair in New York on Feb. 14, 2000. Each country’s doll was only on sale in that ...

At Toys-R-Us, the same African-American doll was on sale for four dollars less than its white counterpart. Wal-Mart’s website also listed an African-American Barbie for $11.87 while its ...

If Barbie is queen, American Girl dolls are the princesses. "Dolls are usually a loser's game," Levine said. ... American Girl introduced its first African-American doll in 1993 with Addy Walker.

Want to go? “Black Butterfly: Proud and Beautiful African American Doll Collection” opens Feb. 1 at the High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave., with an opening reception will be held from ...

As Barbie sales continue to plummet around the world–Mattel reported a 59% drop in the company’s total earnings over the past few months–the Queens of Africa dolls keep getting more popular.