We know how important representation is, and how powerful it can be, and that is exactly what Halle Bailey is showing in her recent tweet. The star of the live-action adaption of The Little Mermaid faced horrific backlash for her casting as the titular character, with many feeling affronted that a mythical creature previously portrayed as white could ever be played by a Black actress, but it has done wonders when it comes to young Black girls seeing someone that looks like they take on such an iconic role.
The actress recently went on Good Morning America to promote the film and was able to meet with a group of girls who were all beyond thrilled to see her. The actress posted the interaction on her Twitter feed and it is so wholesome. The girls could not stop fawning over the star and saying, “You’re so pretty!” with Bailey responding with her own praise for the girls, noting how their outfits matched. In her tweet, she wrote, “Met these beautiful little girls on GMA today and surprised them with seeing the movie early!” They sat down for pictures together with the actress encouraging them to let their goofy side out.
This is the outcome when you have a focus on diversity within the entertainment industry. For years, in live-action films especially, Hollywood and Western media has focused very heavily on a very narrow and white beauty standard. Though animated Disney films have had some level of diversity, such as in Mulan, Pocahontas, and The Princess and the Frog, their live action takes have focused much more on the many, many white Princesses in their collection, such as Cinderella, Belle, and Sleeping Beauty.
There have been Mulan and Aladdin (featuring Princess Jasmine) adaptions, but Bailey will play the first Black Disney Princess in a live-action adaption. Despite the hate aimed at the casting choice and at Bailey herself, with many winding themselves up into pretzels to argue why a Black woman couldn’t possibly play a mythical sea creature, the actress has shown us over and over again how paramount it is that young girls who look like her, see themselves on screen. And in books, magazines, and of course in any position of power, for that matter.
We can’t all be as lucky as these girls to get a preview of the film, the rest of us will have to wait until May 26 to catch The Little Mermaid in theatres.
