December 14th, 2009 
Duane I have long had my fill of 30/40-somethings and beyond singing the praises of Disney for finially deciding to go with a Black princess in its latest animated flick “The Princess and the Frog.”
“This really means so much to little Black girls because now they finally have a Disney princess that looks like them” has been the general tone we have been getting throughout the media.
“What we’re arguing is, come [today], there will never be a time or place when an African-American or black girl will know of a world where there is no princess that looks like them,” Moffitt says. Right before and after the movie, girls will answer questions such as “What does a princess look like?”
Their mothers will engage in focus groups meant to “get responses in depth about whether they had conversations [with] their daughters about what it means to be a princess.” Moffitt says some mothers have asked to participate precisely because they grew up without any princess who looked like Tiana, or because their daughters go to predominantly white private schools and rarely see reflections of themselves.
“This movie is very important because it gives African-American little girls a sense of pride and conveys to them that not only are princesses white as Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc,” she said. “It conveys that African-American girls are beautiful and worthy of admiration as well, and it can boost self-esteem.”
Don’t get wrong, I completely get this historic move by Disney and what it means to women who grew up feeling robbed of part of their self-worth and self-esteem as they were “forced” to watch White princesses have all the fun. I’m sure all the Disney tiaras and dolls they begged their parents for was just a humiliating experience.You wanna keep it real? Let me keep it real.
The truth is that Black women outnumber Black men in college enrollment (even the highest paid college president is a Black woman). The truth is that back in 2002, Black women made a roughly 75% jump in the amount of businesses they owned since the prior U.S. census. The truth is that we have witnessed in our lifetime two Black female billionaires (Sheila Johnson and Oprah Winfrey). Here are some other Black women who have broke the glass ceiling the world of business. The truth is that even in the world of mathematics and science, Black women are excelling. In all of these areas and more, Black women have made great gains over the years. Talk about a self-esteem boost for Black girls!
Yet ONE cartoon (something that isn’t even real) from Disney and now the self-esteem of the entire female gender of a race has been lifted if you listen to some folks. A cartoon can NEVER raise or lower the self-esteem of any person. That comes from the home. That comes from family. That comes from dear friends. So why then do we accept the premise that all these years Disney was in possession of one of the long lost keys to unlocking the self-esteem of our girls?
The real truth is that many of these 30-40 something Black women who are making this film into an almost rite of passage for little Black girls had no problem or suffered from any inner conflicts when they grew up watching the very White Cinderella or playing with their Disney princess dolls, or dressing like ‘em on Halloween, or even sleeping on their Cinderella, Snow White, etc. bed sheets. Based on the successes of many of these women, they turned out just fine. So again, let’s keep it real.
On a personal note, I am glad to see Disney add some color to the mix (but I’m gonna say that anyway). But please, let’s keep this in the right perspective.
My little girl has seen the commercials and previews dozens of times. Although she is looking forward to the day we take her to see the film, her excitement level is no different than with previous Disney films. She is just happy to see a film about girls.
Projecting parental excitement on children.
All cynicism aside, I do understand that there are Black women out there who could point to instances in their own childhood where due to race, their own beauty was not acknowledged or appreciated. But for the vast majority of little girls in this generation, thankfully that is not their story as the definition of beauty has included hues of all types on the national stage.
One of my favorite cartoons to watch when I get the chance is Static Shock. Why? Because it’s about a Black kid who is a superhero, not a jive-talkin’ sidekick–plain and simple. In fact, I’m the one calling my son down to let him know that it’s on. My son on the other hand does like it, but he could take it or leave it.
So I do get how movies like The Princess and the Frog can mean a lot to one generation. But let’s not belittle ourselves by suggesting that a cartoon in this generation has the power to give our little girls a sense of self-worth. So let’s stop conveying the message that they must look external forces to give them value.
For Disney, adding a sistah to their princess line up is a milestone. But again, let’s keep this in the right perspective.
Related
Disney’s black princess historic, but for whom?
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Hey, my boy is white as snow, and he likes “Static Shock.” I think it is his favorite among the super hero cartoons. It was a good show. Static Shock makes a good role model, as good as any modern super hero. Race is real, but people are a lot MORE real than their race.