Why this representation is so important
During the recent D23 Film Convention, Disney released a teaser trailer for the upcoming live-action film of Disney’s 1989 classic, The Little Mermaid. The introduction of the lead role, Ariel, played by Black actress, Halle Bailey, has sparked both excitement and anger in Disney fans. Many mothers of Black children took to social media to express the pure joy coming from their children as they expressed how the new Ariel looks like them. Others took to social media to say that this new look is unacceptable as Ariel is supposed to be white with fire red hair as she was in the original 1989 film. Overall, this is a huge step for Disney, and it is something to be celebrated not discouraged.
Growing up as a biracial girl along with numerous other Black children, I never saw representation in the Disney community. Even when Disney introduced Tiana, we saw her as a frog for most of the film, not as a human being the whole time like the others. Now as grown adults, we remember what it was like to look up to the Disney princesses and there is finally someone for the Black children of today to look up to as well. Many people who are outraged with this recent change are the same people who have never struggled to find a character to look up to as a child that resembles their complexion. They also do not know what it is like to have this lack of representation cause problems with confidence and knowing your self-worth, even as a child.
When most people look at the Disney princesses, especially as children, they acknowledge their beauty, grace, compassion, and any other admiring qualities. When a Black child watches original Disney films, we can acknowledge these attributes but never relate them back to ourselves and admire our own beauty. Instead, we are left to watch from a distance as the white children express their joy of having their favorite princess look just like them. We question what is not good enough about us, that we are kept from being beautiful princesses.
When delving into this controversy, I noticed a reoccurring argument being made that the story takes place in the North Atlantic Sea so Ariel must be fair skinned. Simply dismissing this and making her Black is not historically accurate and is just a way to force “toxic wokeness.” I believe that seeking historical accuracy from a fairy tale about a mermaid, a mythological creature, is sadly grasping the concept that you just do not want to see Black people prosper and experience the same joy with these characters. To add to the stretch of this argument and put it to rest, it can be noted that the first Disney version of the story made Ariel’s home a fictional mixture of Greek and Mediterranean mythology. Note the keywords, fictional and mythology. So, the idea of strictly white mermaids from this area is doing a bit more than pushing it. These outraged fans who cannot grasp the progressive director’s decision to cast a Black woman now face continuous obstacles as they watch franchises fall into the same pattern. How dare they cast women or people of color in roles that are strictly “for white people,” created by white people?
Although these arguments are purely racist, they unfortunately are common beliefs and have drowned out the voices of fans of color who are overjoyed when they see themselves reflected in the legacy of media they have grown to love. As the Black audience, we can continue to celebrate this push in the right direction and be happy for the children who will not face the struggles we did, regarding Disney representation. I hope to see this continue in characters who do not “have to be white,” and for this to become something the white audience gets used to. While the negative backlash is disheartening, I am filled with joy for my community and can feel my inner child being healed when I watch little girls’ eyes widen and their mouths grin from cheek to cheek as they see themselves as the beautiful Disney princesses they are.