8/11/2023 0 Comments Role models cast teacher![]() Many young Black and brown girls had never seen themselves as ballerinas just like many have rarely seen themselves as Disney princesses, she said. Takiyah Wallace, founder and executive director of Brown Girls Do Ballet, said the excitement around the film reminds her of the reason she created her youth ballet group in 2013. “Casting a young Black girl in a very prominent role in a major motion picture that’s going to be seen worldwide … I think that’s very much a step in the right direction.”ĭisney’s decision to cast Bailey as Ariel has gained praise from empowerment groups for young Black and brown girls. “I do believe it’s a step forward,” Erigha said. Ariel as a young Black woman with a natural hairstyle is something Black girls can rally around, Erigha said. Maryann Erigha, an associate professor of sociology and African American studies at the University of Georgia, said we live in a visual culture so the images young people see in movies matter. “It gave me motivation for myself.”Įxperts say Bailey’s role is a sign of progress for Disney in its tradition of creating princesses. “I just felt really honored in a way because you don’t see people that look like you on the big screen all the time, especially as a Black girl,” said Francois, a ballet dancer. “My hope is that this beautiful tale of a mermaid can remind us all that we are all one.”ĭespite the racist backlash, the excitement in Black households speaks to the historic significance of this moment.Īlexandra Francois, a 14-year-old from Baldwin, New York, said she planned to go see the movie this weekend with her mother. “Being different, it’s very timely, especially when you see how divided the world has become,” Marshall said, according to Vanity Fair. The film’s director, Rob Marshall, called it “small-minded” of critics to complain about casting a Black actress as Ariel, Vanity Fair reported. So why does her race really matter?Īs the country becomes increasingly diverse, it seems only fair for Disney to be more inclusive of Black princesses, whether animated or live. Others, including far-right pundit Matt Walsh, suggested that it didn’t make scientific sense to have someone with darker skin living deep in the sea.īut what these critics failed to mention is that Ariel is a fictional character from a fairy tale story. Some critics argued on Twitter that Ariel was a White character from Danish European folklore and should remain that way. Disney’s other racially diverse princesses were Mulan, Pocahontas and Jasmine. It wasn’t until 2009 that Disney introduced a Black princess in an original animated film with Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog.” Singer and actress Brandy played Cinderella in a 1997 remake of the film. Out of the 12 Disney princesses, seven are White. The trailer for the film made waves earlier this year, setting off a series of debates about whether a real-life Ariel should be Black or White. “I hope that they see themselves through me on the screen. “I just hope that they know they are worthy and we deserve to be in these spaces,” Bailey said, according to Vanity Fair. Parents who took part in the study said they wanted their kids to see themselves reflected in the media.ĭuring the film’s world premiere in Hollywood earlier this month, 23-year-old Bailey had a message for the little girls beaming in admiration. ![]() And the representation of people of color in media influences how they feel about race as they mature, a study by the non-profit Common Sense has found. But as Murphy and other young Black and brown girls head to theaters this weekend to see “The Little Mermaid,” they’ll find an Ariel that is very much a reflection of themselves.Īnimated movies are often a child’s first exposure to media and film. In the original 1989 Disney animated classic, Ariel’s character is White, with straight red hair. “It makes me think I can do this, I can do it without anyone stopping me.” Murphy, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, who aspires to own a hotel chain, says it proves that she too can break barriers in spaces that have historically excluded young Black women like herself. Eleven-year-old Leah Murphy feels empowered by Halle Bailey’s star role as Ariel in the live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.”
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