Come on Barbie, Let’s Go Fight For Equality

Introduced in 1959 by Mattel Inc., Barbie dolls have become an icon of femininity, reflecting the different aspects of womanhood and the opportunities women should be able to have. Barbie is a self-made woman who doesn’t need a man, is unabashedly girly, and has no children. This beloved and controversial doll has a long history of influencing young girls and furthering social justice movements. 

Since entering the market, Barbie has faced a lot of flak for pushing the idea that girls don’t have to be wives or mothers, quite unlike toys designed “for girls”  prior to her release. Instead, Barbie earned her own money during a time when, although legal, it was taboo for women to work. During the 1960s, women began entering the workforce en masse and Mattel released Barbie dolls that helped combat the stigma. As shown by an article from “Bright Side,” “Barbie had careers that weren’t available to women back in the time” like being a registered nurse, business executive, and surgeon, encouraging little girls to ignore misogyny and pursue their career ambitions.

The Black Barbie.

Through dolls, Mattel helped normalize and encourage women in the workforce. Since Barbie dolls went mainstream, the toy has revolutionized the toy industry. Other companies looked at Mattel’s success and decided to release career toys while still staying true to the ‘girly’ aesthetic. Gone were the days of baby dolls, as dolls that looked more like grown women began to dominate the doll market. Essentially, Barbie walked so American Girl Dolls could run. 

The “Black Barbie” debuted in 1980, when the Civil Rights Movement entered full swing. Although Barbie was not directly involved in the events of the 1980s, it is very likely that she helped influence people’s opinions on race. The public image of Black people has often been steeped with racist caricatures. For Black Barbie to be a widespread positive representation is empowering for Black girls and the Black community as a whole. As African-American author, Debbie Garret, mentioned in a USA Today interview, “all children need to see themselves in a positive light, and that begins with their playthings and the books that they read.” Clinical psychologist Nanika Coor, Psy.D., affirms this claim, saying that “the toys your children play with help share their view of the world.” When society refused to give Black girls the positive affirmation they needed, Black Barbie was there to provide.

With the creation of, Black Barbie, young children are also being taught to have more open-minded perspectives on diversity. A study from 2020 by neuroscientists at Cardiff University found evidence that playing with dolls “activates brain regions that allow children to develop empathy and social information processing skills, even when playing by themselves.” As Barbie dolls continue to become more and more diverse with different body sizes, ethnicities, hair colors, hairstyles, skin tones and even disabilities, more kids learn how to celebrate differences instead of condemning them.

Today, opinions on Barbie are quite polarizing: either she is a feminist icon or an unrealistic beauty standard for women. Regardless of what one may think, it is hard to deny the effect Barbie has had and will continue to have on society. As the successful recent release of the movie, “Barbie,” and Mattel’s skyrocketing stocks have shown, Barbie won’t be going away anytime soon, and neither will her influence.