Barbie and Representation of Black Women

Limited edition Zendaya doll
Photo courtesy of Misee Harris

When I was a child, I loved Barbies. My sister and I were fortunate, and our collection amounted to about twenty. We created worlds for our blonde Barbies, our brunette Theresas, our lone Ken (who was, depending on the game, the father, the boyfriend, the brother, or the murderer in our games). What we didn't own was a black Barbie.

That's not to say Barbie is inherently racist; I mean, she has a black friend! Christie, Barbie's primary friend for many years, was introduced in the late 1960s (although she's gone through some changes through the years; her original face design was discontinued almost immediately for being an offensive stereotype of black women). She was discontinued in 2004 to make room for Theresa, who is ethnically ambiguous enough to pass for either Latina, Italian, or white.
So what about all the black little girls who are discouraged by toy store aisles filled with pink and white? 

This week, the Mattel corporation (which produces Barbie and her friends) announced that they will be creating a limited-edition doll based on actress Zendaya, a popular face in children and young-adult television in an act of media convergence. This is huge news for young black girls; they will finally see a doll that looks like them, and indeed, one that looks like a woman they admire! Perhaps the positive publicity about this doll, and demand for diversity, will compel Mattel to pull Christie out of retirement. 

It's easy to dismiss this as trivial nonsense, but that's a privileged opinion. Representation matters. If you can't relate to Barbies, maybe you can relate to science fiction. Nichelle Nichols was the first black actress to appear in a non-stereotypical role on television when she signed on to Star Trek in the 1960s. When confronted by racist producers and crew members, she considered quitting the show, but was urged by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. himself to stay on the show because, "[Nichols is] an image for black America. We look on that screen and we know where we're going." She inspired Americans and her presence demanded attention, letting everyone know where the world was going: toward equality. In particular, she inspired black women: the first black woman in space, Sally Ride, was chosen because of Nichols's work to diversify NASA. 

I am delighted by the news of the Zendaya doll, even though I am now too old for Barbies, because of what she will represent. Black little girls are finally being given a chance in their own corporate market, sure, but mostly, I am delighted for the future  these girls will inhabit. Will a Barbie doll tangibly change their futures? No, of course not. What can change their futures are the ideas she inspires. A little girl seeing a doll on shelves that looks like her teaches her that people who look like her can achieve the same things that other people can -- people who have been up on those shelves for decades.

(To dismiss an obvious counter-claim: I have very little concern about the objectification of women by making them into Barbie dolls. These dolls are representative and not objectifying -- they are modes of imagination rather than simple plastic bodies.)