April 1st 2024.
On March 30, the city of Spartanburg, South Carolina celebrated a special day - "Kitty Black-Perkins Day". This day was dedicated to honoring the incredible achievements of the visionary behind the first Black Barbie doll. Kitty Black-Perkins, who grew up in Spartanburg, returned to her hometown on Saturday as a keynote speaker at an empowerment event hosted by Bloom Upstate, a non-profit organization. The event was a chance for her to inspire and uplift young women and girls in her community. City officials and council members also recognized her groundbreaking contributions by presenting her with a proclamation and the symbolic key to the city.
In an interview with Fox Carolina, Black-Perkins expressed her gratitude and surprise at the impact she has made on her hometown. She never imagined that she would be honored in this way, but she was proud to have come from Spartanburg and will always consider it her home.
Black-Perkins made history in 1980 when she designed the first Black Barbie doll, breaking barriers in the toy industry. She spent nearly three decades at Mattel, the world's largest toy company, and retired as Chief Barbie Designer in 2004. In a previous interview with CBS News, she shared her vision for the Black Barbie - to have her be just as capable and versatile as the white Barbie, but with a little extra "spice". Growing up in the Jim Crow South, Black-Perkins didn't have a Black Barbie to play with and would often color the skin of her paper dolls to make them look like her.
The South Carolina African-American History Calendar notes that Black-Perkins' journey as a fashion designer began in Los Angeles, where she honed her skills at prestigious fashion houses. In 1976, she saw a classified ad for a job at Mattel and was immediately drawn to it. This led her on a path that would take her all over the world.
Black-Perkins' contribution to the iconic Barbie line went beyond the groundbreaking Black Barbie. She also introduced several diverse fashion doll lines, such as Shanni and Friends, Fashion Savvy, and the Brandy line. Her exceptional work earned her numerous awards and recognition, including Mattel's highest honor, the Chairman's Award, and the toy industry's most prestigious accolade, the Doty Award. In 2001, she was inducted into the Black Hall of Fame.
In 2023, BLACK ENTERPRISE announced that Shondaland and Netflix had acquired the worldwide rights to a documentary about Black Barbie, celebrating the legacy of Black women at Mattel, including Black-Perkins, Beulah Mae Mitchell, and Stacey McBride Irby. This documentary serves as a tribute to Black-Perkins' groundbreaking accomplishments and her lasting impact on the toy industry.
As Women's History Month came to a close, the world continues to honor and celebrate the iconic Kitty Black-Perkins. Her legacy lives on and continues to inspire future generations.
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