Meet the First African American Princess.

It was about 2-3 years ago when all the girls I knew posted aim away messages (that should date me) about the news of a "new African American" Disney princess. I am an avid fan of Disney and the entire creative process that fuels it. I also have a heart string attached as my grandmother use to give me a new Disney movie each and every gift giving holiday. As a kid, I even wanted to be a cartoonist. So...I never pulled the race card on Mr Disney. I do recall having one or two jovial middle school conversations at the lunch table about The Lion King being the "black Disney movie." You know- cause it's in Africa. Just like Pocahontas was from a general woodland area and Jasmine and Aladdin were in the Middle East. But it was all a joke. I never really thought about the Princesses. Cause you know....I am a boy.

But apparently this movie is being made. Disney has started production on the animated musical fairy tale called “The Frog Princess,” which will be set in New Orleans and will be the first hand-drawn film Disney has committed to in quiet some time. And from what I have seen, it seems to have all the good characteristics of the oldies. Anika Noni Rose (girl 3 from the movie Dream Girls aka not Beyonce or Jennifer Hudson), will be doing the voice the character of Princess Tiana (or Maddy, depending on the source). I hope it's Tiana, because I can name 3 Tianas that I know personally off the top of my head (and if it were Kiana, it would be like 10). Not only is this Disney's first black princess, but it is Disney's first American princess. Oh yeah...and Oprah is in it-duh. But of course, it doesn't end there for a new black heroin. There is some drama about the race of the prince.

It appears that while the rest of the cast is black, Prince Naveen from Maldonia is not. And it is causing a commotion of sorts. Critics say the the Prince, voiced by a Brazilian actor, is "a cop-out," and "an implication that black love isn't good enough." What do you think my avid readers? Is someone slipping something into the purple drank of these rabid consumers? Or do they have a point? I mean, Princess Tiana already seems t0 have some baby hair she needs to worry about, and now she can't find a good ole southern gentleman who just graduated from Morehouse? Or is Naveen just light-skined-ed? Or maybe he is just Naveen from the Block- use to have a little now he got alot. Or maybe this is a sincere representation of the times. Or of America today...

Thoughts? Opinions?

I think Prince Naveen looks like a young Rick Fox.

VIA bossip