Princess Tiana Gets Her Melanin Back After Backlash Over Whitewashing in ”Wreck-It Ralph 2” Trailer

It was previously reported that there were some major differences in the appearance of Disney’s first Black princess, Tiana, in the trailer for ”Wreck-It Ralph 2.” 

Tiana, as well as the other minority Disney princesses, were a bit whitewashed from their original features, such as skin tone, hair, nose, etc., which in turn sparked widespread backlash.

But now, it appears the backlash worked, and with cooperation between Color of Change and Disney Animation, Tiana, Pocahontas, Mulan, Jasmine, and Moana have all returned to their own unique and original looks.

Rashad Robinson, Color of Change President, announced the news on Twitter stating, “Because of COC members and convos with @DisneyAnimation, Princess Tiana has been restored to her original depiction. Now when Black girls watch #WreckItRalph2, they’ll see Tiana and other princesses of color that actually looks like them on screen #BlackGirlMagic.”

Another representative from Color of Change, Brandi Collins-Dexter, added, “After the release of a set of images from Wreck-It Ralph 2, which showed Princess Tiana starkly different from her depiction in Princess and the Frog – a slimmer nose, loose curly hair and a significantly lighter skin tone- Color Of Change engaged in a series of conversations with the leading members of Disney’s animation team to address why these changes shocked and hurt our community. Because of these conversations, Disney restored Tiana and the other princesses of color to their original depiction. By redrawing Princess Tiana – Disney’s first and only Black princess — in ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ as she was in Princess and the Frog, Disney has shown its commitment to addressing the concerns of Color Of Change members and the Black community. Disney is an incredibly powerful and influential company and its decisions have far-reaching implications for other companies that provide entertainment for children and adults around the world. Color Of Change will continue to challenge companies like Disney to ensure that their characters appropriately reflect the diversity of their audiences.”

Kudos to Disney for listening and making changes for the fans, ALL fans! How did you feel about the changes?

MsJennyb

Jen is a Writer and Content Curator for Baller Alert, who writes under the alias “MsJennyb.” In this role, Jen develops and contributes relevant special-themed content to attract readers. Before joining the Entertainment Industry via Baller Alert, Jen spent one year as a Freelance Writer and two years as a Human Resources assistant in a corporate office. Jen has a degree in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University with a concentration in Africana Studies.

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