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Culture

Disney's black Ariel isn't just about diverse representation. It's also about undoing past wrongs.

Disney's black Ariel isn't just about diverse representation. It's also about undoing past wrongs.

It's a predictable scene at this point: Disney makes a character of color. People who value diversity and representation celebrate, while racists freak out about "pandering" and sad little dudes living in their parents' basement toss around the term "social justice warriors" like it's an insult.




But even those of us who celebrate greater representation in children's films may not recognize that Disney creating a black Little Mermaid goes beyond adding more diversity to the princess world.

The issue isn't just that Disney princesses were exclusively white for the first 55 years of its animated film legacy and had no black princesses for 70. It's not just that brown and black kids never got to see themselves in the Disney princess lineup. It's not just that women and girls of color weren't represented in those iconic lead roles.

It's the way black girls were actually were represented in Disney productions—the blatantly racist imagery and messages that audiences consumed for decades—that makes people's arguments against a black mermaid even more ridiculous and adds greater significance to black female protagonists.

In a viral Facebook post, Angelica Sampson explained why merely pointing out that representation is important doesn't paint the full picture, and in fact sanitizes the reality of what black girls have been subjected to in Disney's history.

"Not only did black girls like my mother have to use their imaginations to insert themselves into positive Disney movie narratives," Sampson wrote, "they had to consciously resist being influenced by images like this still from the original Fantasia (1940).

Sunflower was a centaur who existed to serve the white female centaurs

She was small and aside from her brown skin tone, is drawn without fantastical pastel coloring the other female centaurs possessed.

She was a naked child with the lower body of a mule made to serve grown women."

Disney's "Fantasia"/YouTube

"I want to you to fully absorb that she is intentionally drawn without clothing to designate her low social status," Sampson added.

"In an animated fantasy movie for small children, black girls were represented by a pickaninny named Sunflower. She brushes white women's hair and files their nails."

And that wasn't the only example of racist representation of black females in Disney films.

"Black girls sat through the chimney sweep scene from Mary Poppins (1964), where the admiral made a joke that they were being attacked by 'Hottentots,'" Sampson continued.

"It's a line that may go over many of your heads today, but in 1964, it was a hilarious joke.

'Hottentot' is a racial slur used to describe the Khoisan people of South Africa. In the 19th century, Europeans were so fascinated by the high large buttocks and labia of black women from this region that they were routinely kidnapped and paraded around the world to be exhibited at circuses or private fancy parties where the wealthy could even pay for the privilege of touching them.
The most famous of these African women was a girl name Saartjie or Sara Baartman.

She was advertised under the name 'Hottentot Venus' and after her popularity waned, was forced into prostitution.

She died of pneumonia or syphilis at the age of 24.

After her death her body was dissected and her labia and brain were preserved and put on display at a museum in France. This was done in the name of 'racial science.'

They weren't taken down until 1974.

I learned about her when I was 9, because I asked my mommy what a Hottentot was and she told me the truth.

So when you see posts that say black girls have NEVER been acknowledged by Disney, please understand it's not true.

Even in fairytales, white people still imagine black women and girls as beasts of burden.
Even in fantasy, we are degraded.

Even Princess Tiana was the child of a domestic servant. Her happily ever after was securing a loan. 🙃

So excuse us for being excited to see a black child portrayed as a WHIMSICAL MERMAID with GORGEOUS FINS and an ANGELIC voice, and freedom to collect trinkets and sing and have silly boy problems!!"

Sampson also explained the additional significance of having a black mermaid due to the societal assumption that black people don't swim. She pointed out that this is only the case because black people were systematically denied the opportunity to learn to swim for centuries. It started in the slavery era, since a slave who could swim would find it easier to escape. After emancipation, black people were segregated from public pools and housing discrimination prevented them from living in homes or communities with pools—and such segregation was violently enforced by some white people. Even white-centered beauty standards that prompted black women to chemically straighten their hair affected black women learning to swim. Generations of parents were unable to teach their children to swim because they never learned themselves due to racism in America.

"And yet in some circles, even today," Sampson points out, "the tragedy of black Americans avoiding the water is considered hilarious and an indicator of our own inadequacy. And yes, even today, you can read stories about entire black families dying because one child began to drown and one by one, the older children jumped in to save them, resulting in the deaths of a dozen people.

So yes, I'm excited that little black kids are gonna see black Ariel and wanna go swimming. I'm glad a company as influential as Disney is gonna take part in replacing the negative imagery black children have absorbed for the entire history of the US.

I'm so excited about it I'm probably gonna cry several times before this move comes out.
Shit, I'm crying right now. 💕

Let's stop denying black children the luxury of fantasy."

Yes, let's do that. And while we're at it, let's tell insecure white people to stop throwing hissy fits every time Disney does something that disrupts the status quo.

There's a whole lot of historical damage to attempt to undo, and If a black fictional mermaid threatens your existence in any way, shape, or form, you are part of the problem. Take a seat and learn from those who are actually impacted by this character's existence, because their voices are the ones that truly matter here.

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Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

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It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

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