She Played With Dolls As A Child; Grew Up To Create First Black Barbie

Louvenia ‘Kitty’ Black Perkins is the creator of the first-ever Black Barbie (No, not Nicki Minaj. The Mattel doll!). Growing up in South Carolina during the segregation era, she lived in an all-Black neighbourhood and attended an all-Black school, but only got to play with white dolls. Although she adored the dolls, the fact that she couldn't relate to them irked her.

She set out to do something about this. At just 28 years old, Kitty joined Mattel and soon designed a Barbie that represented the girls in her community. Her historic design led the way for so many more diverse and inclusive dolls by the toy manufacturer giant. 

Kitty Perkins' Story

Kitty Perkins was born on February 13, 1948, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and had six siblings. She grew up during racial segregation when Black people were marginalised and excluded from many aspects of mainstream society. Despite the struggles, her talent and determination were evident early on.

Kitty loved art and fashion, finding inspiration in the people around her and the vibrant culture of her community. She graduated with an associate's degree in fashion design in 1971 and began working as a designer for children's clothing. In 1976, she responded to a blind newspaper ad for a clothes designer.

The ad ended up being for a job at the toy company Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie dolls. In an interview with the New York Post, she recounted how she went out and purchased her first Barbie and "instead of making one outfit, I made six. The vice president of the company hired me on the spot."

The six outfits she brought in were put in the line that very year. Kitty's Barbie dolls were a hit! In 1969, Mattel launched a Black doll named Talking Christie, who was said to be Barbie's friend. However, they never created a Black doll of the leading lady Barbie herself. In 1979, Kitty designed the first Black Barbie.

Black Barbie was a contrast to the white ones. She had dark skin and Afro hair and wore a striking red disco-themed outfit to honour Black culture. Kitty once told CBS, "I wanted her to be able to do the same things that the White doll did, but just add a little more spice." The doll started selling in stores in 1980.

Kitty was Chief Designer of Fashions and Doll Concepts for Mattel's Barbie line for over twenty-five years. She retired in 2004 and then launched a line of embellished jeans and also started custom tailoring. Kitty's journey creating the first Black Barbie is revisited in the documentary Black Barbie by Shonda Rhimes.