Timed to Women’s Equality Day, Mattel unveiled the newest additions to its Barbie Inspiring Women series: Rosa Parks and Sally Ride.
The Inspiring Women Series pays tribute to heroines of their time; courageous women who took risks, changed rules and paved the way for generations of girls to dream bigger than ever before. These two women, obviously, fit the mold.
On December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks refused an order to give up her seat to a white passenger and move to the back of the bus, her act of defiance became the catalyst for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Later hailed as “the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement,” Parks earned worldwide recognition and numerous awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal of Honor.
In 1977, when NASA first began recruiting women into the astronaut corps, Sally Ride was one of six women accepted out of more than 8,000 applicants. On June 18, 1983, she blasted off aboard the space shuttle Challenger to become the first American woman – and youngest American – to fly in space. Ride’s adventurous nature, quest for discovery, and pioneering accomplishments inspire girls everywhere to boldly reach for the stars.
The dolls created to honor these two pioneers are sculpted in the likenesses of their real-life counterparts.
The Rosa Parks Barbie Doll wears a floral dress under a smart wool coat. Included are glasses, gloves, a pillbox hat, and clutch accessories. Parks’ name and image were used with permission from The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development in the creation of the doll.
The Sally Ride Barbie Doll wears a blue flight suit, modeled after Sally’s own, with Challenger and NASA insignias. She comes with a headset accessory and removable helmet with American flag and NASA logo details. Sally Ride is a trademark of Ride’s life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, who along with Ride cofounded the Sally Ride Science nonprofit. The NASA insignia and identifiers were provided and used with permission of NASA.