Jenna Benchetrit

A teaser trailer for Disney's live-action 

 has made a lot of Black girls&nbsp;very, very excited.&nbsp;

The upcoming film, which stars singer Halle Bailey (of musical duo Chloe x Halle) as Ariel — a singing mermaid who strikes a deal with a seawitch to become human — marks Disney's first Black live-action princess.&nbsp;

, which now has over 14 million&nbsp;views on YouTube,&nbsp;shows Bailey's Ariel singing the famous 

. And it has ignited a social media trend in which parents film their childrens' reaction to seeing a Black Disney princess.&nbsp;

Lai'anna and Ke'lona Shanks, two sisters who live near Forth Worth, Tex., shared their excitement on CBC's The National Monday night.&nbsp;

Disney-owned cable network supports Halle Bailey's Ariel casting amid backlash

Disney-owned subscription network Freeform has taken aim at critics who disagreed with the decision to cast Halle Bailey as Ariel in the upcoming adaption of the animated film The Little Mermaid.

Halle Bailey, half of the sister duo Chloe x Halle, will next be going under the sea, starring as Ariel in the upcoming live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid.” The casting choice has been objected to on social media on the basis of a black woman portraying the white red-headed mermaid princess of the animated film

Film - The Little Mermaid

Halle Bailey, half of the sister duo Chloe x Halle, will next be going under the sea, starring as Ariel in the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. The casting choice has some on social media objecting to a black performer portraying the white, red-headed mermaid princess of the animated film.

On Broadway, diversity takes a step into the spotlight

There's a transformation happening on Broadway, driven by actors, producers and industry leaders demanding more representation in an industry that has traditionally been predominantly white.

The cast of "A Strange Loop" performs at the 75th annual Tony Awards on Sunday, June 12, 2022, at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

75th Annual Tony Awards - Show

The cast of A Strange Loop performs at the 75th annual Tony Awards on June 12, 2022, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The diverse show, which won Best Musical, is part of a transformation in the industry.

"I'm really, really, really excited," said Ke'lona Shanks.&nbsp;"Because she's Black like us!"

The film is the latest in a series of live-action remakes of older Disney films. The original, an animated movie released in 1989, starred Jodi Benson as the voice of Ariel. 

's Tiana was the first Black Disney princess to be depicted onscreen, albeit in an animated film from 2009.&nbsp;

k i just sobbed watching this thanks 😭💕she’s so sweet ❣️🥹 <a href="https://t.co/jKKdHkOvDe">https://t.co/jKKdHkOvDe</a>

Bailey responded to one of the videos earlier this week, writing on Twitter, "k I just sobbed watching this thanks … she's so sweet".

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. 

Halle Bailey, a Black actress will play Ariel in Disney's live action of The Little Mermaid.

little mermaid

The first trailer for the live-action film The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey, has many young Black girls excited to see themselves as a Disney princess.

'She's Black like us!': Girls see themselves in teaser trailer for The Little Mermaid

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