Justice

Misty Copeland Has a Barbie Doll and the Internet Is Psyched

May 2nd 2016

Misty Copeland was born in 1982. She is the first Black woman promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre. Now she has a Barbie doll in her image.

That's right — Barbie is getting another makeover, and the internet is psyched.

Misty Copeland Instagram comments on her BarbieMisty Copeland/Instagram - instagram.com

Copeland unveiled the doll on "Good Morning America" Monday:

Barbie was born in 1959. Since her debut, she's been simultaneously adored and criticized. Most of that criticism comes from those who point out that Barbie sets impossible beauty standards for the young girls who play with her.

In a long-awaited response, Mattel released a line of Barbies with differing body types in January 2016.

What makes this Barbie so different?

Aside from the noteworthy cultural and historical implications of having a Barbie doll modeled after the trailblazing dancer, Misty Barbie has physical attributes that aren't found on a typical Barbie. "The doll features a brand-new ballerina body," proclaims Barbie's website.

Meaning, girl's got strong thighs:

Misty Copeland BarbieThe Barbie Collection - thebarbiecollection.com

And that's not all. "We looked at her nose and made sure it was a little bit wider than Barbie's actually is, and that her lips were fuller and that she had a little almond shape to her eyes," Copeland told Mashable. "It's just so exciting for this generation of kids to be able to see a Barbie that has muscles and brown skin and a bust and thighs, and for her to be a ballerina."

Copeland is an inspiration to many, including the Obama family.

President Barack Obama and Copeland sat down for an interview with TIME in which they discussed the beauty standards that young Black women struggle to attain. Copeland in particular singled out the popular #BlackGirlMagic movement, a hashtag celebrating Black women:

"I think it couldn’t be more positive for a young black girl to see that it’s okay to be yourself, it’s okay to not have to transform and look like what you may see on the cover of a lot of magazines. That you are beautiful, that it’s possible to succeed in any field that you want to, looking the way that you do."

See how #BlackGirlMagic is recognizing Black women in this ATTN: video.

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