If you’ve been pining for more Black Barbie after last year’s hit film, Shonda Rhimes has got you.
According to TODAY, the media mogul is working on a new documentary that will illuminate the first release of the iconic doll in 1980.
What Is Shonda Rhimes’ Black Barbie About?
“Black Barbie: A Documentary” show how three Black staffers at Mattel influenced the doll’s debut, and how the dolls influenced several generations of young Black girls.
Kitty Black Perkins, the original designer, shed light on her inspiration for the culture-shifting doll.
“I designed Black Barbie to reflect the total look of a Black woman.”
Lagueria Davis directs the documentary, while Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland produces it.
It tells how Black dolls went from being Barbie’s friends in the late 1960s to becoming Barbie herself in 1980.
In a clip of the upcoming documentary, Beulah Mae Mitchell–who worked on Mattel’s production line–shared a pic of herself with the original Barbie creator, Ruth Handler.
“(Handler) would say, ‘Do you have any suggestions?’ I was able to say, ‘We want a Black Barbie.'”
Perkins, Mitchell, and Stacey McBride Irby revealed what happened in the days leading to the doll’s launch, and features interviews from other women who explained how the debut of the doll impacted a lot more than their childhoods.
The documentary will premiere on Netflix on June 19.
