Source: Netflix / Netflix
Black Barbie follows the story of Mattel employees determined to allow a generation of young Black girls to see themselves.
Today’s blockbusters are born in the boardroom, and Black Barbie is one of several recent films exploring culture-shifting consumer goods. Air, BlackBerry, and Unfrosted explore corporate struggles that resulted in categorical changes. Its connection to the filmmaker makes it stand out. Like Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot, Black Barbie emphasizes how valuable diverse employee voices are in corporate America. It centers on several determined Mattel employees, including Beulah Mae Mitchell, Stacey McBride-Irby, and the designer of the original Black Barbie, Kitty Black Perkins.
The documentary from Lagueria Davis is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes through her Shondaland production vehicle.
No Half-Stepping
This is a story of Black women knowing what their children in their community needed and fighting for it, using their seat at the table to increase representation. Producer Aaliyah Williams spoke to the public’s fascination with Black Barbie. “Barbie is such a ubiquitous brand that is one of those unicorn situations that everybody has a story about,” she told Hello Beautiful.
“It brings up core memories from childhood, and so in talking about the very personal aspects of this and imaginative play, and identity and all of those things, you can’t help but have that conversation without talking about the macro aspects and the corporate,“ Davis continued.
Part of that journey included the work of an early prototype of a modern employee resource group. “At the time, it was called the Mattel African-American Forum, where they allowed us to come together and brainstorm,“ said Black-Perkins.
Source: Netflix / Netflix
It is not a Cinderella story. It is a tale of strategy and endurance demonstrating that no matter where public momentum lies the power of Black voices persists. The employees fought to have Black Barbie bear the name of the iconic toy. Its director emphasized what Barbie meant to the culture and why Black Barbie getting that name mattered.
“She came out at a time, you know, the 60s, women’s rights. Yeah. The civil rights movement, it all felt so very important to have something in the world that was speaking to what it meant to be a woman in that time,” said Davis.
They celebrated milestones along the way, but they didn’t stop at half-stepping. They established proof of concept and facilitated investments and acquisitions designed to sway the powers that be.
DEI and Dollars
“To have a doll that possesses that particular name is a huge, huge deal. And I think that that is what’s important to people. They want to know how did we get here,“ said Black-Perkins.
Black Barbie is a must-watch. It arrives in the world at a time when corporations are shedding their performative efforts to integrate DEI commitments into their operations. A 2020 report from major consulting firm McKinsey states, “Diverse teams have been shown to be more likely to radically innovate and anticipate shifts in consumer needs and consumption patterns— helping their companies to gain a competitive edge.“ Another report found that diverse firms “were 25 percent more likely to experience above-average profitability than peer companies.“
The documentary proves why ignoring diverse voices is a huge professional fumble. The film features testimony from notable figures, including Ashley Blaine Featherson, Gabourey Sidibe and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Misty Copeland and Ibtihaj Muhammad, who became Barbies themselves, spoke about the doll’s power.
Source: Netflix / Netflix
The legacy of Black Barbie went beyond the shelves. It inspired future Mattel employees who contributed to the company. “I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for Kitty,“ Stacey McBride-Irby told HelloBeautiful. “As a little girl, I played with Barbie, but I never thought about the steps on how to create a doll.“
Perkins set an example by embodying the same can-do spirit as her creation. “I didn’t want to just be ordinary,“ she declared. “I wanted to make a contribution and it is so important to set goals.
Diversity of Thought
“Tasha Kirkwood talks about diversity of thought, bringing that into your company, and I think that’s innovation,“ said Davis.
“Being able to come to the table with your true ideas, not to just regurgitate what the company feels you should be or to check a box, so to speak. And so I feel like what our film was able to do highlighting the story of, my Aunt Beulah, Kitty, Stacey. It is them coming in and being able to sit at that table and say I have an idea. I see there’s a need for this.”
“They were able to assemble those people to help them make that idea come,“ Davis added.
“We need to celebrate these stories of Black women making amazing things happen within corporations outside of corporations so that other Black women know that they can do it too,“ said Williams.
Black Barbie will begin streaming on Netflix on June 19.
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