A Word … with Jason Johnson

Black Dolls Matter

07.14.2023 - By Slate PodcastsPlay

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Barbie is more than a toy. She’s an icon, and now the focus of a blockbuster film. For generations, Barbie has helped define all-American beauty, often leaving girls who weren’t blonde, thin, and white feeling invisible. But that began to change in the 1980’s with the introduction of Black Barbies. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Lagueria Davis, the producer of Black Barbie: A Documentary. The film tells the stories of the African American women who helped bring Black Barbie to life, and the surprising impact that had on the marketplace, and the emotional lives of Black girls.

Guest: Filmmaker Lagueria Davis, producer of Black Barbie: A Documentary

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel 

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