Today marks a special day for all those who once were and still are little African-American girls. Disney is releasing “The Princess and the Frog,” the latest in their princess series, starring the 80-year-old company’s very first Black heroine, Princess Tiana. The IMAGES office has been quietly buzzing about this for weeks, so we’re going to do a few posts reflecting different takes on the film, so stay tuned.
For such a monumental occasion, isn’t it perfect that one of the films supervising animators is also an African-American man? Meet Disney’s Bruce Smith, South Central Los Angeles native and creator of the animated series, The Proud Family.
On what the film means to him:
“There are a whole group of kids walking through Disney who will never know that there wasn’t a black princess before. The whole Princess March that happens at Disney will now be much more inclusive.”
