Barbie Doll History- African American Barbie Dolls

Being a mom to three girls, my life is filled with dolls, dolls, dolls. And when it comes to dolls, it’s important to me that my girls have dolls that represent our African American culture. I believe in this so much, that I even once wrote to Target to complain that a local Target store, smack dab in the middle of an African American community, failed to have African American fairy dolls.

My 11-year-old has pretty much abandoned her doll days for more exciting things like makeup and Skype, but my 4-year-old is still very much in the dolly mix. While she mostly plays with her “babies” I can tell that Barbie… the doll of all dolls… is on the horizon. And I have to admit that I remember, quite fondly, my own Barbie days that lasted way longer than I care to admit. I remember Barbie and Ken, Skipper and Kelly.

Like most things, when you pull back the skin, all kinds of fascinating things appear and Barbie history is no different. After some research, I discovered some very interesting history when it comes to Black Barbie dolls and the efforts Mattel has made in making Barbie and her friends relevant and relatable for African American children.

Below are a few tidbits that I found about Barbie’s Black friends, those dolls specifically designed to appeal to African Americans, and few tidbits about Barbie too.

Francie 1967– The first Black doll to make her appearance with Barbie was Black Francie.  Francie was made from the same mold as White Francie, Barbie’s cousin, and lacked any African American characteristics other than skin color. Poor Franice. The Franice design was not made to appeal to African Americans, BUT it was worth mentioning and it was the very first step Mattel made in reflecting African American culture in their dolls. And don’t worry, it gets better!

Christie 1968–  Christie came along and for many is regarded as the first Black doll in the Barbie range, as she had both darker skin and more ethnic features, and has her own face mold. Christie proves to be here to stay as she continues in the Barbie line up until this day.

Julia 1968–  Julia came dressed as a nurse and was modeled after Diahann Carroll’s then TV character. If she looks a little similar to Christie, it’s not your eyes playing tricks, she made from the same head mold.

Cara 1971– A beautiful ballerina that came with a beautiful tiara and a pink tutu.

First Black Barbie 1980– The first Black Barbie was introduced… finally. She came with a red business suit and to many, resembled Felicia Rashad, TV’s then super mom, Claire Huxtable.  Since then, Black Barbie has stood beside her original in varying skin tones, facial features and hair styles to resemble and reflect African Americans.

Dee Dee 1985– A member of the Rockers, Barbie’s 5 person back-up rock band.

Belinda 1987– A member of the Sensations, Barbie’s singing group.

 

Devon 1989– Barbie’s friend that accompanied she and Ken to the dance club. A party girl! 

Shani 1991– Appeared with her friends Asha and Nichelle. These 3 dolls had varying skin tones and featured clothing with ethnic prints in an effort to reflect African American culture. Many versions were produced under this line, including a Soul Train version of each, sporting, yes…kente cloth.

Nichelle 1991- Shani’s friend

Asha 1991– Shani’s friend

Oreo Fun Barbie 1997–  This was so worth a mention. Mattel partnered with Nabisco to create Oreo Fun Barbie, which was produced in both a White and Black version. Unfortunately, the Black version did not go over so well and after poor feedback from the public, it was pulled. The first, and only, Barbie doll to ever be recalled (vs discontinued).

Nichelle 1999– The Nichelle was part of the Generation Girls, 6 cool high school girls from all over the world (note, these are not Teen Skipper’s friends). Nichelle represented the US with roots in New York.

Shawnee 2002–  A member of the 4 person Mystery Squad, a group of detectives.  Shawnee’s role was the information specialist and she found hidden messages.

Nikki 2006– A glam beach gal. 

AKA Barbie 2008– Created in commemoration of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s 100 years. The Sorority unveiled the doll during its international convention. I sure hope that the other sorority versions are on the way!

So In Style 2009– Mattel undertook a concentrated effort to reach and appeal to African American girls with the So In Style line of Barbie dolls. There are 6 dolls in total (Grace and Courtney, Janessa and Trichelle, Kara and Kianna). Each of the 3 adult dolls are partnered with a little girl that she mentors. These dolls were designed with more African American features… wider nose, fuller lips, higher cheekbones and a variety of skin tones.

Princess Tiana 2009–  Our beautiful African American Disney princess, in all her Barbie glory.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, just a few bits that I found and had to share. If there is something missing and you’d like to let everyone know, please leave a comment below!

If this article has spawned a need to buy Black Barbie dolls, check out the Black Barbie section in the Soul Mom Bookstore!

Be on the look out for additional posts on Black Barbie dolls including: special collector’s editions including the fantastic Bob Mackie and Byron Lars dolls and celebrities dolls like Diana Ross, Beyonce, Brandy and Kimora Lee Simmons; favorite Black Barbies; plus Ken’s, Skipper’s and Kelly’s Black friends.

Enjoy!