Love her or hate her, almost everyone has a Barbie story. Even if they don’t have a story, there’s a story as to why they don’t have a story. In this film, we tell the story behind the first Black Barbie, because yes, she has a story too. It started with the filmmaker’s 83-year old aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell and a seemingly simple question, “Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?”
Touring with the Film
Lagueria Davis (Director/Producer) graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2007 with a BFA in Media Art. Since graduating, Davis has established herself as an award-winning filmmaker. Maid of Dishonor a feature she co-wrote was a 2016 Nicholls Fellowship Quarter-Finalist. In addition, she’s had four scripts place in the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition. In 2019, her short film, Light in Dark Places hit the film festival circuit and is now streaming on Amazon. Currently, Davis is in production on her next project Black Barbie: A Documentary and a 2021 fellow in the Mentorship Matters program. Davis resides in LA where she’s on the Emeritus Board of the Alliance of Women Directors.
Dr. Amirah Saafir (Research Designer and Facilitator) is a Professor of Child and Adolescent Studies at California State University, Fullerton. She specializes in research centering the impact of social context on identity development for Black youth. In addition to her work as a professor, she also serves as a research consultant in education, film and television.
Schedule
Georgia Circuit with Lagueria Davis (Director/Producer)
Sunday, October 22, 2023: Atlanta, GA - Plaza Atlanta and Fox Theatre, Atlanta
Monday, October 23, 2023: Roswell, GA - City of Roswell, GA
Tuesday, October 24, 2023: Lawrenceville, GA - Aurora Theatre
Friday, October 27, 2023: Hapeville, GA - City of Hapeville
TBD: Rome, GA - Rome International Film Festival and Berry College
Kentucky - Tennessee Circuit with Dr. Amirah Saafir (Research Designer and Facilitator)
Monday, October 30, 2023: Lexington, KY - The Living Arts & Science Center
Thursday, November 2, 2023: Bowling Green, KY - Western Kentucky University
Saturday, November 4, 2023: Nashville, TN - Global Education Center