{"id":11101,"date":"2024-02-23T13:29:53","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T12:29:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=11101"},"modified":"2024-02-23T20:37:49","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T19:37:49","slug":"exploring-representation-the-growing-role-of-diversity-in-the-toy-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/11101\/exploring-representation-the-growing-role-of-diversity-in-the-toy-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring Representation: The Growing Role of Diversity in the Toy Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"
On the lowest level of the public library of Amsterdam is an exposition that emphasizes the ever-growing representation of diversity and inclusivity, ‘Black Barbies’. It’s situated in the kids area, a bold choice, but a well-considered decision, considering that young children are the first to encounter diversity and inclusivity.<\/b><\/p>\n
The evolving landscape of the toy industry explores the significance of diversity and representation. It was in 1967 that Mattel, the company behind Barbie, first introduced their black skinned doll. However, these dolls were merely seen as Barbie’s friends and were just a shadow of existence resulting in a lack of acknowledgment as a real Barbie doll. In the years preceding the production of Black Barbie, Professor Patricia A. Turner, a senior dean at UCLA, noted that society was undergoing fast change, partly as a result of the civil rights movement . Stating that it was ‘no coincidence’ the doll emerged during this time due to the increase of black people’s upward mobility. (For Generations, Black Barbie Has Been a Symbol of Power, Upward Mobility and Imagination<\/i>, 2023).<\/p>\n