Courtesy of Madame Noire
Karen Braithwaite received a harsh wake-up call when she attempted to coordinate a Barbie-themed birthday party for her daughter, Georgia. Although her daughter owns several Black Barbies, Karen reveals that she had the most difficult time finding Barbie-themed plates, cups, banners and decorations that didn’t depict the blue-eyed, blonde-haired Barbie.
“When I was growing up, black Barbies were hard to find. Here we are 40 years later and still dealing with the same thing,” Braithwaite told DNA Info.
“The message they are sending when they [Mattel] exclude black Barbies is that blonde hair and blue eyes are the ideal,” Braithwaite went on to say of Mattel’s lack diversity.
Following her experience, Braithwaite has organized a group of fourteen mothers and more than 2,500 Change.org petitioners who are urging Mattel to provide more accessories and merchandise that feature more Barbies of color.
Photo courtesy of DNA Info
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