Until 1980, Barbie was always white. Mattel had made Black dolls before, but they were sidekicks to the brand’s main character with facial features that didn’t really distinguish them from the other dolls.

In this bonus episode of The Barbie Tapes, we’re bringing you the story of the first Black doll to have the name Barbie as told by WNYC Studios correspondent Tracie Hunte. Tracie speaks with Kitty Black Perkins, Mattel’s first Black designer who brought her own style and preferences to the task of creating the doll. We also hear from Lagueria Davis, director of Black Barbie: A Documentary, on what her research taught her about Mattel’s early efforts to be more representative.

Listen to more of “Notes From America with Kai Wright” from WNYC at www.notesfromamerica.org

This episode was produced by Alana Casanova-Burgess, mixed by Mike Kutchman of WNYC and hosted by Tracie Hunte, who you can follow on Twitter @traciehunte.

#136: Cheap Fast Eats is back on the streets of LA, ever seeking the perfect on-the-go meal for under 10 bucks. This time, LAist's food editor Gab Chabran is taking Brian through the streets of Chinatown. They're checking out some modern hotspots, 30+ year old neighborhood staples, and of course... some excellent dim sum.

Restaurants featured: Angry Egret Dinette, Long's Family Bakery, & My Dung Sandwich Shop

Check out Gab's article on LAist.com for all that and more!

Music in this episode composed by: E Ro 3, Austin Cross, Evan Jacoby, Maston, Moon Mullins, The Lonesome Paradise, Dexter Thomas

#135: California likes to pride itself on being a place that’s ahead of the curve, and sets trends where other states, and even countries, might take some lessons. But when it comes to solutions to the homelessness crisis, could California could stand to learn something from Texas?

While the population of unhoused people in Texas has decreased by 28% since 2012, in California, during the same time period, our unhoused population grew by 43%. So, why the difference?

Guest: CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall, who reported on the different approaches to homelessness in the two states.

*And a note, we recorded this interview before some news broke this week: LAist senior reporter Nick Gerda reports that the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development has granted a waiver to the city of L.A. that will remove a proof of income paperwork requirement that has slowed Mayor Karen Bass’ ability to house people experiencing homelessness. The waiver is expected to fast track the housing process for hundreds of people looking to move from streets and shelters into longer-term housing. Read more about it here.

#134: The great thing about Los Angeles is that you can do the urban thing – go to museums, clubs, concerts and eat at good restaurants – and you can get out in nature whenever you want... or need. 

There are ton a beautiful parks, sunset spots and hiking trails right in the middle of the city. Or if you are feeling more adventurous, you can venture out to farther flung places across the county. 

Last fall we asked our listeners for their favorite places to get outdoors and we turned it into an episode. This summer, we did it again. Here are some of their suggestions. Enjoy – and get outside!

#133: We're staying on the hip hop beat in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the genre! (Check out our first episode on the origins of the West Coast sound with the Godfather of West Coast hip hop, Alonzo Williams).

Today, How To LA speaks to historian, hip hop fanatic, and expert on Black culture from the millennial vantage point: Tyree Boyd Pates. We dive deeper into the impact and evolution of west coast hip hop, the power of speaking truth to power with a beat, its roots in Black America and its spread to global pop domination.

CLARIFICATION:  This episode makes a reference to the influence of the Last Poets. The contributor meant to point to the influence of the Watts Prophets. We regret the oversight. 

Guest: Tyree Boyd Pates, history curator, professor, writer, and speaker on Black culture. 

#132: Hip Hop officially turns 50 this weekend - Aug. 11th to be exact. As we all know by now, its roots are in New York. The west coast sound developed later but, when it finally hit, LA made Hip Hop its own. 

It's the late 1970s, disco is dead and funk is hitting the clubs in LA. Alonzo "Lonzo" Williams is at the center of it all — DJing, producing and bringing acts at his club, Eve After Dark in Compton.

As a new genre borne out of funk and disco – hip hop – is taking over the East Coast, Williams wants to make sure his dance floor is packed. Run DMC performed there, the crowd went wild, and it clicked for him: bring hip hop into the L.A. club and music scene. He then started World Class Wreckin' Cru, and the West Coast hip hop sound took off. 

How to LA speaks to Williams, known as the "Godfather" of West Coast hip hop, about the beginnings of the sound. We sat down with him in his Gardena studio, where many of the greatest hip hop hits were recorded. 

#131: The double strike of SAG and WGA is rippling through the L.A. economy, affecting everyone from the creatives on the picket line to below-the-line workers to every business that all these folks rely on. From coffee shop owners to estheticians, we hear from a handful of people that have been impacted.

Guests: 

Susanna Boney, art/construction department worker turned lifeguard trainee

Sharōn, Esthetician, From Head to Toe, Los Angeles 

Pam Elyea, History For Hire 

Ames Miyako, actor and Everybody trainer 

Sean Casey, owner of the Lyric Hyperion

BONUS: From LAist Studios, LA Made: The Barbie Tapes.

In this episode, Ruth and Elliot Handler are gone, and the new Mattel team, led by a man who feared the volatility of the toy business, diversified the company and made a big gamble on electronics.It didn’t work. Fortunately, Barbie ends up in the sure hands of some trailblazing women executives, who could see that the culture was moving in a direction very compatible with Barbie’s persona. From the workforce to the workout, Barbie was a doll of her times.

Listen now at https://laist.com/podcasts/la-made  

#130: Taylor Swift is coming to LA for an unprecedented SIX nights at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood... and she's bringing about half a million fans with her.

That's a ton of people — and money — pouring into Inglewood, but it's also a ton of traffic, infrastructure headaches, and more. So today we're going to SoFi with one question: Is LA ready for Miss Swift?

If you are going to the Eras Concert, here's how LA Metro is trying to get you there: https://laist.com/brief/news/arts-and-entertainment/taylor-swift-fans-heres-how-to-get-to-sofi-stadium-by-metro

Guests: Inglewood Mayor James T Butts Jr. and Stephen Tu, Senior Director within the Service Development unit for LA Metro, Taylor Swift fans + Inglewood residents

#129: Today's dual strike of WGA & SAG-AFTRA bears a striking similarity to the last time both unions joined on the picket lines: 1960. In both contract disputes, the main concern for writers and actors revolved around emerging technologies. Where today's union members are concerned about streaming residuals and AI, their forebears were concerned about their movies being rebroadcast on TV. The major studios may have changed, but in both cases workers are saying they are not receiving their fair share of the profits.

So today we're checking in with LAist's favorite history journalist, Hadley Meares, to talk about what we can learn from past strikes, and how 1960's echoes can still be felt today.

Check out Hadley's article on LAist.com: https://laist.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/how-the-sag-strike-of-1960-foreshadowed-hollywoods-current-battle

Music in this episode composed by: Mort Garson, indiegamemusic.com, Maston, Moon Mullins, Macabre Plaza, Mamman Sanni, Dexter Thomas, Woo