Black Girls Reacting to ‘The Little Mermaid’ Trailer Show Why Representation Matters So Much

If you don't have tissues handy, now would be the time to grab some.

By Julie Scagell September 13, 2022

little Black girls watching The Little Mermaid

Halle Bailey responded to one adorable video

Over the weekend, the world got a look at the first trailer for Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Halle Bailey, who plays everyone’s favorite mermaid, Ariel, was absolute perfection, sending shivers down the spines of anyone who watched it. It was something more profound for parents of little Black girls, many of whom began filming their child’s reaction to seeing a Black Ariel for the first time. If you don’t have tissues handy, now would be the time to grab some.

Bailey’s casting means representation for the millions of little girls who watch Disney movies and don’t see themselves in them. The actress recognized this during a recent Variety interview: “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. There’s no reason that they shouldn’t be. That reassurance was something that I needed.”

The reactions speak for themselves:

In one video posted on TikTok, a parent captioned “when your favorite Disney princess looks like you,” showing a three-year-old girl sitting straight up as soon as Bailey comes onscreen. “I think she’s brown,” she said in the video. “Brown Ariel is cute.”

@preciousavery
I love this for my 3 years old 🤎 #littlemermaid #toddlersoftiktok #hallebailey #girlpower
♬ original sound – Precious & Emery

Bailey herself responded to one adorable little girl’s reaction, writing, “k I just sobbed watching this thanks. She’s so sweet.”

k i just sobbed watching this thanks 😭💕she’s so sweet ❣️🥹 https://t.co/jKKdHkOvDe
— Halle (@HalleBailey) September 11, 2022

On Twitter, one user decided to capture as many reactions as she could, writing, “As I stroll on TikTok, I keep seeing parents video their children reacting to The Little Mermaid trailer. So instead of focusing so much on the negative, I thought I’d show a thread of the little black kids who are excited to see their favorite princess look like them.”