Tiana from The Princess and the Frog
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Looking at the first few Disney films (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast), most of the princesses were white females. It wasn’t until 1992 that Disney created it’s first princess to be a different race other than white (Jasmine from Aladdin) and it wasn’t until 2009 that Disney finally brought us their first African American princess, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. Things have changed immensely over time and it is clear in how the princesses have developed as well. If Tiana had been the first Disney princess released in the 1930s, much controversy and racial allegations would have taken place. Racism was heavily entrenched in the 1930s and racial segregation still ran rampant in America. During World War II, there was much racism against African Americans in the military. However, after 1992, Disney emerged with more racially diverse female characters such as Pocahontas and Mulan. In 2009, Tiana was met with much praise by the American audience. Acceptance of ethnicity is much more evident in the 21st century than in was in the 20th. The Disney princesses almost act like a timeline or a reflection of racial acceptance in America since the 1930s till this day.
At the start of The Princess and the Frog, we see that Tiana is far from living the perfect "princess life." Since her father passed away, she has to assume the role of the head figure and support her mother by working multiple jobs, all while still striving to attain the restaurant she and her father have dreamt about their entire lives.
In the clip above, Tiana sings "Almost There," explaining her perspective on hard work and aspirations through recitative dialogue. She's one of the only Disney princesses to have ever gone through financial troubles. Tiana represents the everyday woman - a realistic side to the princesses that the American audience had yet to see until the release of this film. She's tough and feisty, working her way to the top instead of depending on others to create her fairytale for her. She achieves her dreams through hard work and dedication rather than just wishing upon a star or wearily waiting for a prince.