Recasting Ariel as a mermaid of African descent allows brown and black children to feel seen. It allows them to imagine themselves in magical stories, a realm where they’re rarely present.
Internet trolls are review-bombing 'The Little Mermaid' in an effort to prevent people from going to see the live-action version starring black singer Halle Bailey.
The Little Mermaid, we can conclude, wins on a few noteworthy fronts, mainly the embattled politics of skin colour. But the ideas and social norms that moulded the story no longer belong on our screens.