Black Barbie: Who Is Kitty Perkins? By Shonda Rhimes’ latest Netflix documentary, , revisits the iconic doll’s history and introduces viewers to its designer, . The documentary debuted on the streaming service on June 19, 2024, and details the story of Black Barbie and its impact on the world. Mattel first launched the Black Barbie doll in 1980, and it came in a box that said, “She’s Black! She’s beautiful! She’s dynamite.
” Kitty Perkins, who designed Black Barbie, claimed in the documentary, “I knew Black Barbie was different, but I never realized the magnitude.” The brand’s aim was more than just sales; it was meant to revolutionize the toy world. Who is Kitty Perkins & why did she design the first Black Barbie? According to , Kitty Black Perkins, a South Carolina woman, went on to design the first Black Barbie doll in 1980.
She was born in Spartanburg in 1948 to a housekeeper and a chef. In 2019, Perkins told that she and her siblings “grew up modestly.” She also admitted to never owning a Barbie doll, as they were unaffordable for her family.
Moreover, she never had any black dolls. Perkins told that she used to “actually color the skin of the paper dolls” and “wanted them to look like me.” Initially, Kitty Perkins was keenly interested in fashion and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams.
She studied fashion design at Los Angeles Trade Tech College and earned an associate’s degree in 1971. Perkins worked for a couture designer for so.
