The Little Mermaid: University of California’s ‘mermaid’ expert says black star in new film matters
Jack Birle
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The “mermaid expert” at the University of California, Riverside, says the upcoming remake of The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey “matters for little black girls who can see themselves on the screen.”
Jalondra Davis, an assistant professor of English at the university, says that a black actress portraying the lead mermaid, Ariel, in the upcoming Disney film is important.
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“Representation is not everything, but it does matter. It matters for the kids, it matters for little black girls who can see themselves on the screen. I loved Disney growing up, I loved princesses, I loved fairy tales. Even though there are more options for heroines now, I would have loved to see more fairy tale and fantasy characters that looked like me when I was a child,” Davis said in an interview with the University.
“Had I seen a Black Ariel then, it might have changed what I saw as possible in my life.” she continued.
Davis, who hosts The Merwomanist Podcast, says she has examined the intersection of mermaid lore and the Middle Passage, or the movement of enslaved Africans to the Americas and Europe from the 1500s to 1800s.
“I have always loved mermaids, it’s something I have always identified with. One of the things I am zeroing in on is this idea of the Middle Passage as the birth of mermaid species. I call this idea crossing merfolk,” Davis said.
She believes that while the intersection of these two may bring a “painful history,” it also provides the ability for “some healing.”
“Many people believe there is too much trauma, too much painful history in the representation of Black people in popular culture. The intersection of merfolk and the Middle Passage provides a way to continue bearing witness to this history while also experiencing some healing,” Davis said.
Bailey was cast to play Ariel in the live-action remake of the 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid in July 2019. The casting choice received some scrutiny online as Ariel, who had been portrayed as white in the original film, would now be played by a black actress in the 2023 remake.
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The actress addressed the pushback in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, saying the “racism didn’t surprise” her.
“It’s a little disappointing, but it’s bound to happen. I didn’t let it affect me and just focused on the positive response I was getting. This moment is so much bigger than any of that. Especially for the black and brown babies out there, I hope they feel filled with love and confidence in who they are because it’s essential that they see themselves in roles like these,” Bailey told the outlet.