In light of Black Barbie’s debut, here is a look at the history of the trailblazing doll — and the Black women who made her a reality. The brainchild behind the first Black Barbie is Kitty ...

Now, Barbie is celebrating the 45th anniversary of their first-ever Black Barbie doll with a collectible doll of creator Black Perkins, who worked at the brand as a pioneering designer until 2004.

After Mattel’s culture sweeping debut of Barbie in 1959, it took nearly 17 years for the brand to come out with a version of the collectible doll that represented more than one type of skin color.