The Story of Shandana Toys

Shandana toys provided much needed empowerment and community uplift vis-a-vis jobs to the Watts neighborhood and South Central Los Angeles. In 1976, Lavenia Kitty Black Perkins would become the first black fashion designer to design for Barbie. The company which operated into the 1980s had a beautiful message: Only by learning to love oneself can one learn to love others.