Black Barbie: Who are Beulah Mae Mitchell, Kitty Black Perkins and Stacey McBride Irby? Meet the trailblazing women Netflix's new documentary who helped changed the world of toys forever READ MORE: Fans go wild over a new black Barbie in a wheelchair who wears her natural hair - and even comes with a ramp that fits inside her Dreamhouse By Gina Kalsi For Mailonline Published: 11:32 BST, 19 June 2024 | Updated: 11:32 BST, 19 June 2024 e-mail View comments Growing up, many may remember a time when a blonde-haired and blue-eyed Barbie dominated the toy shelves. In 1959, the pouty doll made its debut, wearing a bold zebra monochrome swimsuit and the rest was history. Californian company Mattel, now worth around a whopping £4.
6bn, also released a brunette version of its first doll. But millions of African-Americans struggled to see themselves represented until three trailblazing women helped to change the toy scene forever during America's Civil Rights Movement. Netflix has released Black Barbie: A Documentary, which explores the history of the first Black Barbie, along with those who paved the way for inclusivity in the toy industry.
But who were the people involved in making the decision? Here, FEMAIL reveals all...
Above: Three Black Barbies dressed in elegant red evening gowns in in the Netflix documentary Beulah Mae Mitchell Born in Texas in 1938, at a time when racial segregation was rife in America, Beulah always had a fascination with dolls. She would even make her own to.