Review: Netflix's documentary ‘Black Barbie' explores cultural, historical significance of the iconic doll
'Black Barbie' is a Netflix documentary released in 2023 that playfully explores the cultural and historical significance of the iconic doll, focusing on her evolution from a white, blonde, blue-eyed fantasy figure into a more inclusive line of dolls with a variety of skin tones, facial features, body types and hair textures.
It is worth noting that the documentary debuted in March, many months before Greta Gerwig's fictional, pink-tinged, wildly successful blockbuster hit 'Barbie' was released in July of that same year.
Regardless, this documentary feels like a necessary continuation to that narrative.
Barbie has always been about style and fashion — dressing-up, accessorizing and imagining different lives for the doll through her wardrobe. But the documentary asks: What happens when only one kind of child — that fits a certain box — gets to live that fantasy?
And, also, is Barbie more harmful than helpful in elevating us as a society? Is it really just about a doll?
Directed by Lagueria Davis and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, one of the most celebrated Black creators of her generation, the documentary explores the creation of the first truly representative Black Barbie — with distinct lips, hair and nose — and how it marked a clear departure from the earlier, more simplistic iterations, which were often just white dolls painted darker.
They delve into the role of Ruth Handler, Barbie's creator, and how meaningful it was to the Black Mattel employees when Kitty Black Perkins, Mattel's first Black designer, was hired.
The documentary also reflects on the infamous Clark doll test, a pivotal 1940s study by Black psychologists and married couple Kenneth and Mamie Clark where Black children were offered identical dolls — one white, one Black — and were tasked with choosing which of the dolls were 'nice' and which were 'bad.'
The Black children overwhelmingly preferred the white dolls, and appeared hurt — offended even — when asked 'which doll is most like you?' The children seemingly felt forced to select the Black doll, which they associated with something 'bad.' This illustrated the deeply rooted psychological effects of racial representation — or the lack of it — in something as mundane as toys. This was clearly not just about a doll.
Davis, a Black director and writer, was inspired to create 'Black Barbie' after learning about the pivotal role her aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell, played in advocating for the first Black Barbie while working at Mattel.
Although Davis admitted to never gravitating toward playing with Barbies as a child — she started to wonder why. She used this documentary to find out.
Davis interviewed numerous people, scholars, notable figures on screen, each offering invaluable insights into their connection — or not — to a doll that looked like them, or didn't, reflecting on the significance of representation in toys and how generations of children had grown up without seeing dolls that accurately resembled them.
Davis pondered on the fact that although her aunt and her came from different generations, the reality was the same: Blackness was not celebrated as much as it should have been then, and arguably, even now.
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