Disney, it is time for a black princess!

[mommygrove]

Disney films, toys, clothing, costumes and other memorabilia can be found throughout modern American culture, as well as being distributed around the world. Disney has become intertwined with childhood fantasies and imaginative play. This Halloween, I saw many little girls dressed up as their favorite Disney princess. Little girls love to pretend that they are a Disney princess. The princesses have become a symbol of femininity, grace and beauty. The Disney princesses can be found everywhere around us, on coats, backpacks, lunch boxes, dolls, and P.J.'s (just to name a very few).

I too have a cute little girl. She is feminine, graceful and beautiful. But unfortunately, there is not a Disney princess for her to imagine being. Why? My daughter is black. Disney has never had a female black character in any of their major motion pictures. All of my daughters friends, whether Asian, Caucasian (in many hair shades), Native-American, or Middle Eastern, have Disney icons to tell them they are beautiful. My daughter and millions of beautiful black girls around the world have been excluded from the Disney Princess Parties.

What message is Disney sending to these impressionable little girls? Why has Disney chosen to ignore such a large American population (not to mention world population)? Almost every other major toy manufacturer in American now produces black dolls. Disney does not have one.

I have created a petition to ask Disney to stop excluding black characters from their princess line-up. The time has come for Disney to move into the 21st century and recognize that black is beautiful too. There are so many wonderful princess stories and folklore from the African continent; surely one of these would merit a cartoon! Lets stop sending the message to our children that only light skin is feminine, graceful and beautiful. There are so many strong black queens and princesses in our past, that our little girls deserve to be included.

Disney, it is time for a beautiful black princess!

If you would like to sign my petition, please go to:

http://www.petitiononline.com/disneybp/petition.html

Thank you! Feel free to forward this on to everyone you know!

Kelly

[Dottie]

I signed it!!
I never really thought about it, but you're absolutely right!!!! It's 2006, they should make the move!!!

[Disney Lover]

While I understand that you feel that Disney should include a black princess in their lineup and I too am surprised that they haven't, is it really necessary to post this in both general discussion AND off topic?

[Dottie]

Would you sign my petitions about The little mermaid dubbing in Germany?
The links are in my signature.

[yamiiguy]

Well I sort of agree but wouldn't it make the film longer to make? Since paper is white you don't need to color in

[Dottie]

Well I sort of agree but wouldn't it make the film longer to make? Since paper is white you don't need to color in

But they have to color the white ones as well. They all have skin color, and aren't snow white (couldn't resist that pun )

[Escapay]

Well I sort of agree but wouldn't it make the film longer to make? Since paper is white you don't need to color in

Thank you. I can now revive my WTF series.

Escapay

[yamiiguy]

Well I sort of agree but wouldn't it make the film longer to make? Since paper is white you don't need to color in

But they have to color the white ones as well. They all have skin color, and aren't snow white (couldn't resist that pun )

really
i honestly never knew that, i'll sign then

[numba1lostboy]

I'm all for racial equality and diversity, but in Disney's defense, the princess movies are all based on theur classic films which are based on fairy tales. There are no fairy tales centering around a black girl (a black princess nonetheless). And even if Disney did this, I seriously doubt that the princess would be instantly inducted into the Princess line. I mean, there are already Disney princesses that aren't in the official line (Pocahontas for example). The films in production centering around a princess (Rapunzel and Frog Princess) probably won't be put into the princess line either.
It's not an issue of racial subliminal messages, its an issue of the classical-ness of the films.

I do think Disney would do well about creating a film centering around black people, though. Right now, all we have (I think) is the short featured on the Lion King II Special Edition DVD.

PS
Mulan isn't a princess!!

[Escapay]

I do think Disney would do well about creating a film centering around black people, though. Right now, all we have (I think) is the short featured on the Lion King II Special Edition DVD.

*cough*Song of the South*cough*

Though some might consider it a stretch as it more focuses on young Johnny.

Escapay

[numba1lostboy]

I do think Disney would do well about creating a film centering around black people, though. Right now, all we have (I think) is the short featured on the Lion King II Special Edition DVD.

*cough*Song of the South*cough*

Though some might consider it a stretch as it more focuses on young Johnny.

Escapay

I've honestly never seen the film. And I was talking about an animated film, like mommygrove was suggesting.

[slave2moonlight]

I do think Disney would do well about creating a film centering around black people, though. Right now, all we have (I think) is the short featured on the Lion King II Special Edition DVD.

*cough*Song of the South*cough*

Though some might consider it a stretch as it more focuses on young Johnny.

Escapay

A great Disney short that should be checked out is "John Henry," which is on the (I think now out of print) American Legends DVD. Well, I think that's what the DVD is called. Don't remember exactly. I've got it and it's a nice collection of folklore shorts, though the credits are cut out because it's presented as a film hosted by James Earl Jones.

There's also the "Proud Family," ha. Not too bad of a show, but a little weird at times with that old man who doesn't speak English and the singer guy...

Of course, neither of those has a princess...

I don't think there is anything wrong with dressing as a character that doesn't look exactly like you for Halloween, but I can see the appeal of dressing as one that does. Sure, it makes the costume look cooler. Anyway, I also am surprised Disney hasn't come out with a major black princess character by now. I don't know of any African based fairytales, but I would suggest any letter or petition include some specific story suggestions that sound like they would make a good Disney feature. I think the main reason we haven't seen a black Disney princess yet is that they have mostly done very popular fairytales and tried to set them in locations that seem to be the source of the stories. For whatever the reason, most of us don't seem to know any non-American, black fairytales or folklore (perhaps it's simply because Disney hasn't done one though, ha). There's also the option to create an all new, original "fairytale," but I guess that is riskier and they'd be more apt to muck it up.

Something else I think Disney should tackle is a cool Egyptian story! I think that could be neat!

[totallyminnie86]

Disney once pondered the idea of doing an animated "Aida"

[disneyboy20022]

There was a black Cinderella in Disney's Roger and Hamerstein's Cinderella which I belive was a Original Wonderful World of Disney. Also don't forget that Jasmine from Aladdin isn't white and I think she's the only princess besides Pocahantas who is not white. I know one princess I don't think Disney has ever tampered with is the old fairy tale The Princess and the Pea and please correct me if I am wrong. If Disney were to make a movie out of that perhaps they could make the Princess Black. Of course if this were to happen it would be the most controversial racial film of all Disney Movies.... I however would support the film Princess and the Pea with a Black Princess because people need to quit acting like we live in the Civil War type period. There are good and bad people. Just because you are black does not make you a criminal nor does it mean that all white people are bad either. There are both. What I am trying to say is that You make who you are... Not your skin Color...

[Escapay]

\I know one princess I don't think Disney has ever tampered with is the old fairy tale The Princess and the Pea and please correct me if I am wrong.

"Once Upon A Mattress" aired on Wonderful World of Disney last year.

slave2moonlight, the American Legends DVD isn't OOP, but isn't easy to find either, lol.

Escapay

[disneyboy20022]

But was that Once Upon a Mattress film Animated or Live Action??? If it was live action I think they could do something like that for Animation but use a black princess.

I also like Slave2moonlight's mention of an Animated Aida. That would be better probably. Althought I am not familiar with the plot at all.... Could someone post what the plot is because I have seen ads before but I never could ressurect any money to go see it. All I really know about it is that it has music form Elton John and Tim Rice.

[Simba3]

It doesn't necessarily have to be a "Disney Princess" but I would agree that Disney does need to do a movie that features black people. There have been movies with asians, native americans, middle easterners and I feel like there should be one that includes black people.

[castleinthesky]

Also don't forget that Jasmine from Aladdin isn't white and I think she's the only princess besides Pocahantas who is not white.

I would have to disagree. People from the Middle East and northern Africa are Caucasians.

[Dottie]

I'd like to see an animated Aida, but with Rice's and Elton John's music. It is beautiful.
Wasn't the musical actually produced by the Disney company?

[Disney Duster]

OKAY, time I chimed in. First of all, is it your daughter that is upset about there not being any Disney princess who is African American, or is it you? In many commercials about Disney princesses, the girl dressed as Cinderella is African American. They show African Americans dressed as the princesses all the time in the Disney Store I go to. Girls can dress as whoever they want.

Second, is it the look of the princess that makes a girl like her, or her personality and story? I think girls choose their favorite princess from their favorite movie, not who matches them best. Not many girls have red hair, and Ariel is still the #1 favorite Disney princess.

Third, in order for Disney to make a movie that features a princess they can market to little girls, it's going to have to have a good story, and be popular. All the princesses in the Disney Princess line are only from successful, popular movies. Kida from the flop Atlantis and Esmeralda from the unheard of Hunchback of Notre Dame are not featured.

Fourth, similar to what many have said, the reason most princesses are white is their fairy tales are set in a long time ago. Long ago, black people were treated very poorly, and it would be hard to find a story about them set in the time of castles where they are the main character. But their are definately thousands of African folk tales about African princesses that could be turned into animated features.

So Disney's going to have to make sure they come up with a good, successful story before they put an African princess in their lineup. Maybe the Frog Princess will be African, since it's not going to be like the original Frog Prince anyway. It could be set in Africa, we don't know yet.