Who says you’re too old to play with Barbie dolls?
Mattel’s latest Barbie release is soaring to higher heights with this year’s doll collection through their Inspiring Women Series. One of their newest dolls is none other than renowned pilot, Bessie Coleman. Bessie Coleman is notably known as being the first African American woman to receive an international pilot’s license in 1921 as well as being the first African-American and Native American pilot.
The doll was released just a few months ago and has already made traction as a monumental decision for the company. To support this endeavor, Barbie has also partnered with American Airlines to further honor the life and legacy of Bessie Coleman.
After sitting down with Coleman’s great-granddaughter, Gigi Coleman, I was able to get an inside perspective of how their collaboration came about. “The Barbie Inspiring Women series is an ongoing doll line that pays tribute to female role models – and I was so excited when Barbie reached out with their interest in wanting to include my great aunt Bessie! She accomplished a historic feat for women and people of color in aviation, becoming the first-ever Black and Native American female pilot. She is an icon absolutely worthy of this honor from Mattel, and I am honored that Barbie has chosen to pay tribute to her. I can’t wait for more children and adults to learn more about her story and success,” she excitedly expressed.
Gigi Coleman also serves as the President of the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars organization which she founded in 2013 in honor of her great-aunt and her legacy. This organizations specifically centers around inspiring students to pursue careers in STEM and aviation. In celebration of Coleman’s birthday in late January, children flying Flight AA71 to New York from Dallas-Fort Worth were gifted with the doll and were taught about her personal story to be inspired for their own future career aspirations. To see more of how this transpired, click here.
When asked about her hope for those that come in contact with the doll, Gigi expressed that she wants for children to feel inspired to pursue their dreams. “My great aunt has been a direct inspiration for my life’s work – encouraging youth of all backgrounds to seek careers in aviation – and I look forward to seeing how she can inspire other people of all ages.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5.3% of American pilots identify as women. In addition, less than 1% of that figure are African American women. While these are staggering numbers, many are still fighting for representation for women of diverse backgrounds in this field. For example, in August of 2022 a flight crew made history in their ode to Bessie Coleman’s legacy as being the first ever all-Black flight crew in history. The flight crew made a specific stop to Phoenix, Arizona was Coleman made frequent trips and appearances throughout her career as a pilot.
“I’ve dedicated much of my life’s work to encouraging younger generations to explore careers in aviation through celebrating my great aunt’s legacy. Bessie truly paved a way for others and opened doors in aviation that have made a lasting impact on the field. Through honoring her legacy, as Mattel has with the Inspiring Women Doll, and continued expansions of her legacy, I can only expect to see more strides in that direction,” said Gigi regarding her perspective on if her great-aunt’s legacy has contributed to the the increase in representation of women within the field of aviation.
The Bessie Coleman Barbie doll is in great company alongside other trailblazing women such as Madam C.J. Walker, Susan B. Anthony, and Jane Goodall.
You can purchase the Bessie Coleman doll along with the other dolls within the collection by clicking here.