200 Black Girls Invited To 'The Little Mermaid' Screening With Black Actress In Title Role

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A local multimedia production company that focuses on Black representation in film, television and the digital realm is raising money to bring 200 Black girls to see Disney's live-action version of "The Little Mermaid," which has a Black performer in the title role.

Black on the Scene will host a showing of the film and other activities on May 28, 2 to 6 p.m., at the AMC Sundial 12 in St. Petersburg. Donations for the event, called “Black on the Sea,” can be made through GoFundMe.

The remake of the classic animated film, which has a May 26 release date, stars Halle Bailey, a Black singer and actress, as Ariel. In the 1989 film, Ariel, voiced by Jodi Benson, is white.

Since Bailey's casting, there's been some racist backlash online about the film, but the actress told MovieWeb she wasn't surprised by the negative responses.

"As a Black person, you just expect it and it's not really a shock any more. I know people are like, 'It's not about race.' But now that I'm her … People don't understand that when you're Black there's this whole other community. It's so important for us to see ourselves," she said.

After the film's teaser trailer was released in September, Bailey was moved by the videos Black parents shared online of their children reacting to her casting.

"I'm truly in awe," she tweeted. "This means the world to me."

Tamia Iman Kennedy, owner of St. Petersburg-based Black on the Scene, told Patch that it’s important for Black girls to see the new "The Little Mermaid.”

"This is our first Black live-action princess. This is huge," she said.

She recalls when "The Princess and the Frog," featuring Disney's first animated Black princess, Tiana, was released in 2009. Kennedy was 13 years old at the time.

"I was in middle school and it was such a huge moment," she said. "It was a big deal. I was really excited about it."

Now, she's excited that other Black girls "get to see themselves" in the new Ariel.

Kennedy hopes to raise $15,000 for the May 28 event. This includes the theater rental and film screenings, a gift card for snacks and drinks, face painting, a photo booth, a gift bag, a book giveaway through event partner Cultured Books Literacy Foundation, and vouchers for free swimming lessons with Courageous Leap.

"In addition to Black visibility in media, we thought this was a great moment to tie in 'The Little Mermaid' with other themes, like literacy, water safety and even marine biology," she said.

While individuals can make donations through GoFundMe, there are also sponsorship packages available for businesses and organizations ranging from $500 to $10,000. Businesses interested in sponsoring the event should email Kennedy at info@blackonthesceneprod.com.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.