Member-only story

“Little Mermaid” Proves Racism Still Exists

We often hear the argument that racism no longer exists; the ‘I will respect you if you respect me" folks claim to not see skin color. Now we know these are lies.

Libby Winkler
3 min readMay 26, 2023
Photo by Alice Alinari on Unsplash

Disney recently released its live-action version of “The Little Mermaid” with a twist.

Halle Bailey plays the beloved mermaid princess Ariel, who is black.

The casting of an African-American woman as the face of this movie has caused some controversy among people who are not ready to accept diversity within their beloved Disney classics.

Are There Good People on Both Sides?

Social media was filled with outraged comments about a black Ariel not being true to the original story and how it was “too political”.

There were those who praised the casting and highlighted diversity in Hollywood and the classic story itself, but those speaking out against the choice quickly silenced them.

Despite the controversy, Disney stood firmly by its decision.

In a statement released on Twitter, they said, “The Walt Disney Studios is proud to be introducing Halle Bailey as Ariel, and we are excited for viewers to see her in…

--

--

Libby Winkler
Libby Winkler

Written by Libby Winkler

Freelance writer who loves exploring the messiness of humanity, while poking around in nooks of life and shining light on all the things that make us complex..

No responses yet