Barbie Just Released An Incredible New Line Of Dolls For Black History Month

Many little girls and boys grow up playing with Barbies, and that’s great. They encourage imagination, creativity, and fun. The dolls were a massive part of my childhood, but I also had the good fortune of having dolls that looked like me (which wasn’t the case for every kid, I know). However, Mattel has consistently been trying to make their toys more diverse, and their new line of Barbies released for Black History Month are a step in the right direction.

1. There are 10 new dolls in the line. Barbie’s new dolls are all black, but they feature different iterations of blackness. Some dolls have light skin, others have dark skin. Some have afros, others have weaves. There is even a curvier doll to promote body positivity and one in a wheelchair to represent those with disabilities. It’s a wonderful way to honor Black History Month, but you have to wonder why these dolls weren’t released long ago.
2. Mattel worked with costume designer Shiona Turini to create the Barbies. Turini announced the collaboration via her Instagram page, where she showed a photo of the dolls and wrote, “Thank you, Barbie — for collaborating with me to create Barbies with braids, finger waves and everything in between. Chicks by the layers, all different flavors. And even a curvy doll, in a crop top, with waist-length twists. Baby Shiona is PROUD.”
3. Turini hopes the dolls will offer kids something she never had growing up. “I grew up obsessed with @barbie and while she was one of my first fashion icons, I clearly remember searching shelves for a doll that looked like me and coming up empty-handed,” she wrote. “The first black Barbie was introduced in 1980 – in a sparkly red dress with an Afro pick in her hair. Here she is, on her customized throne, surrounded by friends created and styled by me. I hope other young children, and adult Barbie lovers, are as excited to see themselves reflected in these dolls as I am.”
4. The dolls are downright beautiful. The looks for the Barbies were inspired by three color schemes, according to the New York Post: monochromatic, sherbet colors, and snakeskin mixed with black and white. In other words, they look fierce as hell. “My vision was to style diverse dolls in bold looks with themes seen throughout my work, like contrasting snakeskin and leopard, challenging traditional uniformity,” Turini explained.
5. Happy Black History Month! Whether you’re beyond the age of playing with Barbies or not, we should all be celebrating diversity in all its beauty, which these dolls are a perfect example of. Representation is so important, so let’s keep this up!