Disney gone Rogue

Explanation: Representation is so vital to me as it was something I suffered from a lack of my whole life, as I’m sure many young black girls did. Black people throughout history have done remarkable incredible things despite our struggle however we never are never taught in schools about them. Therefore, it is our job to educate the next generation of young black people about just how amazing our community is. We have to be the channels where they learn of achievements throughout black history but also still how far we still have to go in the fight for equality.

I grew up watching Disney films and princesses as most girls did. Through these films, I was taught my purpose in life was finding true love and that my worth lay in being a wife, a girlfriend or a lover. Moreover, the princess never ever looked like me, never had my skin tone and never had my afro curls.

So, the reason today as a 20-year-old fierce feminist I juxtapose these Disney characters from my childhood with my feminist role models and heroines is because these were the women I wish I grew up reading about. Their stories, experiences, and knowledge should have been the things shaping me as a young woman as it helped me find myself and what I truly value. Formidable women like Audre Lorde and Angela Davis showed me my immense power as a black woman.  For example, artists like Nina Simone made some of the most powerful expressions of inter-sectional feminism within American pop culture through her songs. Just like me, her art is her activism.