Mattel’s world famous “Barbie” doll turns 60 this year. The toy company that first released the popular doll in 1959 has introduced a line of Barbie dolls designed to honor accomplished women from around the world. The dolls are intended to inspire girls by honoring role models whose accomplishments represent a variety of fields. However, the dolls do not fully resemble the women they are designed to honor. Listen to this conversation between two journalists about whether these role model Barbies are as empowering to girls as they could be.
Story Length: 3:51
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January 28, 2019
3:54
For the third year in a row, a Women’s March was recently held on the mall in Washington, DC and in other cities around the world. The first Women’s March was organized in response to the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. This year, there was discord preceding the event, with some of the march’s leaders being accused of anti-Semitism. Many people, however, joined the marches in solidarity again, focusing on issues of equity and justice affecting women. Listen to this story to learn more about the event and the issues surrounding it.
Read MoreDecember 4, 2018
4:24
Laurie Simmons is a New York artist whose photographs frequently feature dolls in domestic scenes. As a retrospective exhibit of her work opens in Texas, she reflects on her art and what it means to her. Listen to this interview with the artist to learn more about what is behind her fascination with photographing dolls.
Read MoreMarch 9, 2017
8:24
During the space race between the United States and Russia, many of the NASA mathematicians who made space flight possible were women. Moreover, many of these important scientists were black women, which is significant, because segregation was still in full effect. Although white male engineers and astronauts have been the most highlighted in history, people are now celebrating the essential contributions of these female, African-American scientists, including the movie “Hidden Figures.” Listen to learn more about the black female scientists like Katherine Johnson and their important contributions to space travel.
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