In 1968, Barbie introduced the world to Christie. Christie’s debut was remarkable, revealing a significant shift in American attitudes about race. Barbie and Christie became friends when most Black and white Americans still learned, worked, and lived separately. Laws that prohibited racial segregation and allowed interracial marriage were new and often unenforced.
Yet, the tide was changing. An energized civil rights movement won entry into white institutions and stoked pride in a distinct Black culture. Black Americans became more visible in popular culture as more meaningful roles opened up in film and TV. A small figure herself, Christie delivered a powerful message simply by standing on the shelf.
Christie In Dashiki Outfit
Standing proud in her West African-inspired dashiki, Christie embodied the “Black is Beautiful” movement of the 1960s.
Christie’s designers took care to sculpt her face to look more like Black models of the time including Naomi Sims, Donyale Luna, and Marsha Hunt than Barbie. Christie and Barbie could share clothes and go shopping together.