It’s no secret that black girls have been killing the game lately. From Viola Davis becoming the first black woman in history to win an Emmy for Best Actress in a drama, to Shonda Rhimes launching new seasons for the three of the most popular shows on primetime television, black women have been in the spotlight. The latest accomplishment for the black female community is Zendaya Coleman having a Barbie made in her honor.
For those of you who don’t know, Zendaya is a rising 19 year old star in the Disney Channel sphere and she is a triple threat. She can sing, dance, and act and she does it all with the utmost grace and an awesome sense of humor. After the 2015 Oscars, Zendaya was put in the spotlight after comments were made on a show called Fashion Police about her appearance on the red carpet. She looked amazing in a white gown and dreads. However, the host Guiliana Ranic believed made her look like she smelled like “patchouli oil…or weed.” Zendaya responded eloquently to the ignorant comments via Instagram and Mattel chose to commemorate that moment and her confidence by making her a Barbie doll.
Although I’m definitely too old to play with Barbies, Zendaya receiving this doll is a huge deal for a number of reasons. It represents a push in society to finally recognize the dialogues happening around race, cultural appropriation, and the representations of black women in the media. By creating this doll, Mattel acknowledged a moment when a black woman’s voice was held up and brought to the forefront of people’s attention. Even though only one Zendaya Barbie has been produced, she has created and continues to create an amazing legacy for confident girls to grow and thrive in and that’s something we need more than ever. So major props to Zendaya for proving that, once again, black girls rock.
Sources:
http://assets.teenvogue.com/photos/5609454fcf6c13fe16894abe/3:2/w_544,c_…
http://media.vogue.com/r/w_480/2015/09/28/zendaya-barbie-holding.jpg
http://flsentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Zendayaandherbarbieimag…