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Black Barbie
How society’s images shaped our views of skin color.
The release of the new movie, “Barbie,” reminded me of how years of imagery about skin color has shaped our unconscious minds.
A white friend of mine, in her sixties, knew I was involved in race and equity issues and asked me a couple of years ago what I thought she should do with her Black doll collection.
“Black dolls? What do you mean?” I asked, more wondering why on earth she had them and, more importantly, what she was even talking about. Nancy grew up white and privileged in the Deep South, and while she has tremendous compassion and empathy for people of color, I was perplexed by her owning these dolls. Dolls I didn’t even think existed.
“When you say you have Black dolls, how old are we talking?” I wanted to know. I was a child of the 1970s and ’80s, and I don’t recall Black dolls lining the shelves at K·-B Toys, Toys “R” Us, or any other store for that matter.
It turns out her dolls are from the early 1900s. Her family purchased the collection in the small town…
