This is a blog post from my friend and staff partner, Nicole, that I wanted you to read:
"Did you know that there is FINALLY a Disney Princess who looks like all of the princesses in my neighborhood?! Imagine growing up and most of the stories you watch in the movies have heroines who don't look like you......"
One of my close friends( and staff family) sent the above statement out this week in an email to some of our supporters to help raise funds to send 25 of our young girls to viewDisneys The Princess and the Frog. I immediately began to weep in tears because she hit the heart of a issue that has been around in the black community for decades. Many of the little girls I talk with in our neighborhood and beyond have self image issues (including myself). It makes it difficult, and more of a challenge to ONLY see dolls, stories, and/or your positive role models to be of another race. In the African American community many times beauty is seen as having long straight hair, blue eyes, and lighter skin. I can remember growing up not wanting to play with dolls that looked like me, simply because it wasn't what was said to be "pretty". I cant even begin to imagine what a movie like this will do to many girls that have( or had) a mindset similar to mine. That my friends makes me excited!!
We( staff wives) are just overwhelmed with joy to take our girls to see this movie. Would you please pray for out time with these girls?? Pray that the LORD would make this such a precious time together, and as my friend says, pray that each girl will long to be princesses of the TRUE KING!
2 comments:
Hi, I have been reading your blog for a week now. What neat stuff God is doing through you and your family. My husband and I are in the process of adopting from Uganda. It is so true, I cannot imagine growing up seeing things that look so different than me. I can only imagine how that would make a girl feel about themselves. I have been observing how "white" my home truly is and that it is important to add some "color". I would like to post this picture and letter on my blog if that is ok. Thanks for allowing God to use you.
thanks for posting about this...it's really exciting to see Princess Tiana! i have also found that lighter is considered prettier...STILL. we get constant compliments on jaydens blonde hair and never on journeys dark hair. its sad and i hope this disney movie will help all of your (and mine) little girls see that dark princess (them) are BEAUTIFUL!
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