Nationwide — Mattel has officially released an Ava DuVernay Barbie doll, which DuVernay says is a celebration of the image of Black women. Unfortunately though, the doll, which is a part of the Platinum Label collector’s edition, sold out in less than 20 minutes after being released on TheBarbieCollection.com and Amazon.com.She told USA Today, “The only reason I (let Mattel make the doll), was because of how much I was into Barbies. I grew up in Compton where some days my mom didn’t want us to go outside.” She says that staying inside and playing with Barbie dolls “really sparked my early storytelling.”
DuVernay, if you don’t already know, is the 43-year-old film director and screen writer best known as the director of Selma about Martin Luther King, Jr. The film, which starred actor David Oyelowo as MLK, went on to be nominated for Best Picture and won an Oscar for Best Song.
She is now working with Oprah Winfrey to produce an upcoming drama series called Queen Sugar, which will air next year on OWN. She is also producing and directing a CBS civil rights crime drama pilot called For Justice starring actress Anika Noni Rose.
DuVernay says that all proceeds for the Barbie doll sales will go to two organizations close to Ava’s heart, ColorofChange.org and Witness.org.
She posted on Twitter: “People have really been kind embracing this doll, but it’s certainly not about me. It’s about the image.”
Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AVAETC
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