The first celebrity Barbie was modeled after British fashion model Twiggy. To promote equal rights, Barbie received her first Black friend, Christie. Barbie became fully poseable in the '70s ...

Ruth kept pushing until the first Barbie, decked in a black-and-white swimsuit and heels, debuted at New York’s Toy Fair in 1959. Sure enough, plenty of mothers said the doll was too sexual ...

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.