The Walt Disney Company announced last Friday at its annual shareholders meeting that it has started production on a new film, 'The Frog Princess,' featuring the famed studio's first black princess.
The animated musical is set in
New Orleans and is dubbed by Disney chief creative office John Lasseter as "an American fairy tale."
The story of Maddy, a young African-American girl living in the grandeur of the fabled French Quarter, is
filled with jazz and based on an original story written by Disney's John Musker and Ron Clements ('The Little Mermaid,' 'Aladdin,' 'Hercules'), who will also direct.
As to why the studio has waited almost 70 years after its first animated film, 'Snow White,' to present an African or African American animated princess has been a debate bubbling over in the African-American community for years.
In 2005, and after a trip with her daughter to Walt Disney World, Katrina Helm started an online petition asking the billion-dollar behemoth exactly this.
According to her letter, a representative from Disney responded by saying that there were "no African-American fairy tales."
Until now, apparently.
Since 'Snow White' debuted in 1937, there have been Disney princesses represented from almost every other ethnic group: Asian (Mulan), Native American (Pocahantas) and Middle Eastern (Jasmine). Of course, there are the Caucasian princesses we all grew up with -- Snow White, Cinderella and even 'The Little Mermaid's' Ariel, who is from the sea.
As reported on by Black Voices, and talked about on its
community boards, the black community wonders how this lack of representation affects the psyche of our children, especially our girls. Over the years, Disney has come under fire on everything from its portrayal of ethnic groups (remember 'Song of the South'?) to its alleged denigation of women.
Why now, then?
It could be as politically correct as pragmatic, given that African Americans spent 2.2 billion dollars on
entertainment in 2005. Or, in light of Hurricane Katrina, 'The Frog Princess' being set in New Orleans could be a nod to those devastated by the storm.
Whatever the case, the hand drawn epic (the process that was industry standard before computer animation became the norm) is set to arrive in theaters in 2009.
Read the Original Black Disney Princess story
