Earlier this month, Walt Disney Studios released the first full trailer for the upcoming live-action remake of the Disney Renaissance classic, The Little Mermaid (1989). Some have promised to boycott the film, which features Halle Baliey, a Black actress, portraying the originally white animated Disney Princess (voiced by Jodi Benson).
Nevertheless, The Little Mermaid (2023) inspired young Black girls worldwide when the first trailer premiered at D23 Expo in September 2022. Bailey previously spoke out about ignoring the racist backlash and being a role model for little girls. “I want the little girl in me and the little girls just like me who are watching to know that they’re special and that they should be a princess in every single way,” she said in an interview last year.

This month, Richmond, Virginia, community organizer Lance Cooper started a campaign to get one thousand Black students to the theaters for The Little Mermaid. In just a few weeks, the GoFundMe raised more than $15,000 of its $18,000 goal.
Cooper, who previously crowd-funded trips to the theater for Black Panther (2018) and Captain Marvel (2019), emphasized the importance of young Black children seeing themselves powerfully represented on screen.
“It’s an opportunity for a child to embrace their individuality and power,” he wrote. “It’s extremely important for Black youth to see characters that look like them portrayed in powerful ways on the big screen. We must maximize every opportunity to counter the negative images of Black people on television with something positive for Black girls & boys.”
The GoFundMe was amplified by future live-action Snow White (2024) star Rachel Zegler, the first Latina actress to portray a live-action Disney Princess. “This is awesome. 🍎,” she wrote:
this is awesome. 🍎
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) March 10, 2023
More on The Little Mermaid (2023)
The Little Mermaid premieres in a theater near you on May 26, 2023. Directed by Rob Marshall, it features original music by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken and stars Bailey as Ariel, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula the sea witch, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Awkwafina as Scuttle the seagull.

“‘The Little Mermaid’ is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure,” Disney writes of the film. “The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.”
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