'Black Barbie' trailer tells origin story behind the 1st Black Barbie dolls

The trailer highlights the importance of the Black Barbie creation.

June 4, 2024, 6:54 PM

The story of the world's first Black Barbie is coming to streaming.

Netflix released the trailer for "Black Barbie" on Tuesday, teasing the documentary which will take an in-depth look at the conception, inspiration and people behind the creation of the first Black Barbie doll which hit stores in 1980.

Scene from "Black Barbie" official trailer by Netflix.
Netflix/YouTube

"I designed Black Barbie to reflect the total look of a Black woman," said one woman featured in the trailer.

The trailer highlights the importance of a "Black Barbie" creation. Underscoring the central theme, the trailer shows a Black girl playing with a Black Barbie doll as she describes the doll saying, "Really pretty. It has locks, just like me," while holding her own hair.

"More than just a doll. Black Barbie celebrates the momentous impact three Black women at Mattel had on the evolution of the Barbie brand as we know it," read a description from Netflix attached to the trailer.

"Through these charismatic insiders' stories, the documentary tells the story of how the first Black Barbie came to be in 1980, examining the importance of representation and how dolls can be crucial to the formation of identity and imagination," the description continued.

"Black Barbie" will hit Netflix on June 19.