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Parents share their children's joy at seeing a Disney princess who looks like them

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

As any parent who's ever hit the costume store well knows, little ones love their Disney princesses - Snow White, Belle, Cinderella, Mulan. Part of the joy of dressing up as a favorite character is seeing yourself in that character. And now, with Disney's release of the trailer for the live action "The Little Mermaid," a new generation of fans is going to be able to see themselves in a new princess under the sea, played by African American actor Halle Bailey of the R&B duo Chloe and Halle.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE LITTLE MERMAID")

HALLE BAILEY: (Singing) Out of the sea, Wish I could

MARTIN: Parents started sharing videos of their children reacting to the trailer and seeing a princess that looked like them. Using hashtags like #blackgirlmagic and #representationmatters, the trend has gone viral, some of the videos even reaching Bailey herself.

(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #1: I think she's...

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #2: A Black "Little Mermaid," wow.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #3: I've been waiting for another Black princess.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #4: Yes, yes, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #5: She's Black. What?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #6: She's like me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Michel Martin is the weekend host of All Things Considered, where she draws on her deep reporting and interviewing experience to dig in to the week's news. Outside the studio, she has also hosted "Michel Martin: Going There," an ambitious live event series in collaboration with Member Stations.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.