… that many people tried to derail her from becoming a dancer because she is “curvy and Black.”
As the Black body continues to be attacked and ridiculed in today’s society, the Misty Copeland Barbie will stand as a testament to young Black girls who may feel unsure about their bodies.
“Being a woman in general, it’s hard to be completely comfortable and confident with how you look,” Copeland previously explained. “Especially in an art form like this, when it is about your physicality and what you look like. It’s difficult being critiqued and judged on that basis.”
Copeland topped headlines last year when she became the first African-American woman to be named principal dancer at the world-renowned American Ballet Theatre, according to ABC News. She partnered with Mattel, Inc. to design the Barbie.
The Misty Copeland Barbie is one in a series called Barbie Sheroes, which honors inspirational women breaking boundaries in diversity. Selma movie director Ava DuVernay and Disney star Zendaya also have Barbie dolls in their likeness.
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