Barbie (yes, the doll) posts a video about racism that goes viral, and for good reason

Barbie — as in the plastic Mattel doll — has a message about racism that's gotten Twitter's attention.

In a new video posted to the Barbie YouTube page, where an animated Barbie and her friends regularly appear in vlog-style clips, she has a discussion with Nikki, a Black doll. Their talk has gone viral.

"There is a huge movement going on," Barbie says, opening the video seated next to Nikki. "Millions of people across the world are standing up to fight against racism, and they're doing this because too often and for such a long time, people have been treated unfairly, and in some cases even hurt by others, because of the color of their skin."

Then, Nikki talks about her experiences.

"Barbie and I had a sticker-selling contest on the beach last month. We split up and went our separate directions to see who could sell the most. While I was on the boardwalk, beach security stopped me three times," Nikki says. "The security officer thought I was doing something bad, even though I was doing exactly the same thing that you were doing.

She also recalls how she was going to join a French honor club at school, but a teacher, who didn't know her, said she "got lucky" on a French entrance exam that she aced. 

"Why didn't you just stay in the club and prove him wrong?" asks Barbie.

"Because I don't want to constantly prove and reprove myself. He supported you right from the beginning and he didn't support me," Nikki replies. "People did these things because I was Black, and they made the wrong assumptions about me."

And then, Barbie recaps: "That means that white people get an advantage that they didn't earn, and Black people get a disadvantage that they don't deserve."

It's a sentiment that has social media praising the plaything so much that Barbie became a national Twitter trending topic on Wednesday evening.

Twitter user @fentytannies shared the video with viral message "now why is barbie spitting facts."

"if you can't understand racism when BARBIE explains it, idk what to tell you," tweeted @revvengerss.

Twitter user @lethatlqt_ noted wrote, "everyday I stan barbie even more."

"Everyone has to watch this," tweeted @Calxiyn.

This isn't the first time the Barbie YouTube channel has tackled topics weightier than makeup tutorials and DIY nail designs (though those are still on the page). In videos that have more than 1 million views each, Barbie discusses how girls are conditioned to say sorry too much and talks about feeling guilty about being sad. 

Along with the educational videos for children, Mattel has in the last few years also made more diverse dolls. In 2016, Barbie became available with more skin tones and body types, and in 2019, Mattel introduced a line of gender-neutral dolls. This year, the toymaker unveiled dolls that are bald and appear to have the skin condition vitiligo.

“What we’re excited about and proud of is not only is this the right message to send to children,'' Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and global head of Barbie told USA TODAY earlier this year, "but our efforts focusing on diversity are resonating ... from a business standpoint. The brand is thriving.''

Contributing: Charisse Jones, USA TODAY

Barbie gets more diverse:Mattel unveils dolls with no hair, vitiligo