By Ivie Drogin ‘25, Arts and Entertainment Staff Writer

Fanart of Disney Princesses of Color 

Image courtesy of change.org

Many of the classic Disney movies that we grew up with are evolving to reflect the cultural push to create more inclusive stories. In recent years, Disney princess movies have started to move away from the “damsel in distress” narrative that has shaped so many classics like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. Instead, Disney is changing to create a more inclusive and independent list of protagonists for children to admire. 

One of the first Disney movies to portray an independent woman of color was the 1998 film Mulan. In the movie, Mulan poses as a man and joins the Chinese army in place of her father. Eventually, her identity is revealed, and she is sent home, but when enemies invade her village, she partners with her friends to save the city.  Just another reason why this movie was so revolutionary was that this film was based on historical Chinese armies instead of European fairy tales. While Disney saw a gradual shift in their inclusivity of main characters throughout the years, releasing The Princess and the Frog in 2009 with a black woman main character, there has been a spike in the amount of movies with inclusive main characters as their diversity has been analyzed. As Disney progresses, it is trying to create more movies similar to Mulan with strong women of color as the protagonists.

The movie Moana, which premiered in 2016, is a continuation of this Disney shift toward female empowerment. Moana is a Polynesian girl who attempts to save her family from a curse that will engulf her village and island if it is not stopped. Though she meets a “demi-god,” Maui, their relationship is purely platonic and he helps her achieve her goals while she remains in control of her own quest. The director of Moana, Osnat Shurer, told Indiewire, “[Moana] breaks new ground. What she wants is to save her world. We’ve seen that a lot with male protagonists but we don’t see that much with female protagonists.” Disney is throwing away the classic story of a girl and a prince falling in love and replacing it with a more complex narrative. Moana and Mulan, selfless, courageous, young women, on quests to save their villages have become the new standard for Disney’s female main characters. 

This new criterion is shown in Disney’s lineup of movies to be released in the future. Encanto, a movie set to release on November 24, 2021, centers around a Hispanic female protagonist who goes on a quest to save her family’s “magic.” In addition, Disney is also revamping some of its old movies. For example, Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid is set to premiere May 26, 2023. The movie stars Halle Bailey and showcases music composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well as a diverse cast including Daveed Diggs, Akwafina, Melissa McCarthy, and Javier Bardem. As Disney hopes to represent everyone in their movies, they have launched two initiatives to employ underrepresented talent, including women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ actors, in the summer of 2019. These new movies with updated ideals fit into the progressing standard of Disney while keeping the same Disney magic that enriched movies of the past.

As Disney attempts to create a more inclusive brand, they are also taking responsibility for past problematic content. Multiple movies on the streaming service Disney+ now have disclaimers attached to them. Some of the most notable on this list include Peter Pan, Dumbo, The Aristocats, Lady and the Tramp, and The Jungle Book. These warnings refer to racist stereotypes against African Americans, Asians, and Native Americans depicted in their movies. Disney+’s disclaimer reads, “These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now” and goes on to say “we want to acknowledge this harmful impact [and] learn from it.” The viewer is unable to skip this 12-second disclaimer, highlighting the importance Disney is placing on acknowledging their past mistakes. However, this attempt at reconciliation raises the question of whether a disclaimer is enough. Clearly, the movies sparked tremendous controversy to be brought to Disney’s attention. As these movies were popular among children in the past, is a disclaimer enough to combat the questionable morals instilled in the children from a young age? Should the movies be removed altogether from their streaming service, Disney+? Although this disclaimer is a small step in the right direction, it in no way makes up for the racism that Disney displayed to children and accepted without dispute for so long. 
Looking at these films in 2021, it is clear that movies with outdated ideas will remain in the past. According to the disclaimer, “Disney is committed to creating a more inclusive future [by]… creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience.” With its anticipated release of Encanto and The Little Mermaid live-action remake, it is safe to expect Disney to continue producing more main characters who are people of color and gender diverse with complex backstories. Hopefully, as children today grow up with the new era of Disney, they will be more accepting and understanding as adults in the future.