The Frog Princess--Disney's First Black Princess

nevar257 (5) 04 May 2007 03:54 PM

"I also have to say that while some adults may criticize Disney for their white heroines, my kids don't care. They adore all the Disney princesses--regardless of skin color."

While I respect your point of view, I must say that it is one sided. I happen to be one of those adults that has criticized and continue to criticize not only Disney but other toy makers as well for not providing African-American girls with dolls that look like them and depict positive images. The princess craze is huge and it nearly broke my heart when my 3 year old daughter told me that she is ugly because she can't be a princess and only white people are pretty. Did I mention that she is ONLY 3 YEARS OLD. She absolutely loves the princesses and gets so excited when the commercials come on. So, while your kids may not care, I'm over here doing damage control on a 3 year olds self image because there aren't any princesses that look like her.

Anyway, my point is that this is a HUGE opportunity for Disney to do some good and create a princess in a market that often overlooks African-Americans.

My next gripe is that they decided to make her a chambermaid (how stereotypical is that) in the South...with a voodoo practicing side kick. Of all the images to send and with an opportunity to create a VERY positive story line they continue to feed into negative stereotypes. For white America you may not be able to understand because in a situation like this you have a smorgasbord of other images to choose from; however, for us African-American's that isn't usually the case.

Valorie Delp (49340) 04 May 2007 05:30 PM

Thanks for your comments! I guess I would've thought differently if the stories had all been original Disney. . .but they chose to charecterize fairy tales that I would consider classic children's literature. I do see your point. But we are minorities where we live, and I guess I've always had a hard time making the connection between self-esteem and children's play things. My kids play with everything, often choosing ethnic dolls over white ones because in their world that's how people look. Am I to believe that they do/can have self esteem problems because there are not white dolls available to them? I think the issue is so much deeper than that and frankly, I think it transcends race. I think when media consistently portrays beauty as character quality and integrity we can stop telling our three year old daughters that they are beautiful even though there are no princesses that look just like them.

I am very concerned about what kind of heroine she'll be though. I am a little concerned about the setting of the story and the fact that she's a chambermaid but I guess we'll just have to see what they do with it? They did a very good job I thought with Esmerelda. . .

globubjoy (5) 09 Nov 2007 09:52 PM

"Thanks for your comments! I guess I would've thought differently if the stories had all been original Disney. . .but they chose to characterize fairy tales that I would consider classic children's literature. I do see your point. But we are minorities where we live, and I guess I've always had a hard time making the connection between self-esteem and children's play things. My kids play with everything, often choosing ethnic dolls over white ones because in their world that's how people look. Am I to believe that they do/can have self esteem problems because there are not white dolls available to them?"

i think the difference here is that EVERYWHERE you look there are white/Caucasians being portrayed as something positive. there are very few minority characters in cartoons/children's shows. So if you are Caucasian living in an area largely populated with minorities..you turn on the tv and there are shows upon shows of positive white images for you kids to look up too. Minorities, especially African Americans, can't do the same.

its an indirect way of directly showing children who CAN be someone and who CAN'T. kwim?

i think its they type of situation that you have to be fully apart and affected by to truly understand it. you're children can play with black/brown dolls...and have perfectly fine self esteem cuz everywhere ELSE they look...society is tellin them that they're "princesses"...kwim?

laromana (5) 19 Mar 2009 03:46 PM

Bravo to Disney for creating the first African American princess. As a woman of color, I wish Disney would have done this years ago but better late than never. I'm excited for the positive effect it will have on little black girls who now have a princess who looks like them. I promised my nieces (who are mutiracial) that I will dress up as Princess Tiana when they dress up as princesses.