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Parents share their children's joy at seeing a Disney princess who looks like them

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

As any parent who's ever hit the costume store well knows, little ones love their Disney princesses - Snow White, Belle, Cinderella, Mulan. Part of the joy of dressing up as a favorite character is seeing yourself in that character. And now, with Disney's release of the trailer for the live action "The Little Mermaid," a new generation of fans is going to be able to see themselves in a new princess under the sea, played by African American actor Halle Bailey of the R&B duo Chloe and Halle.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE LITTLE MERMAID")

HALLE BAILEY: (Singing) Out of the sea, Wish I could

MARTIN: Parents started sharing videos of their children reacting to the trailer and seeing a princess that looked like them. Using hashtags like #blackgirlmagic and #representationmatters, the trend has gone viral, some of the videos even reaching Bailey herself.

(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #1: I think she's...

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #2: A Black "Little Mermaid," wow.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #3: I've been waiting for another Black princess.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #4: Yes, yes, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #5: She's Black. What?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #6: She's like me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Michel Martin is the weekend host of All Things Considered, where she draws on her deep reporting and interviewing experience to dig in to the week's news. Outside the studio, she has also hosted "Michel Martin: Going There," an ambitious live event series in collaboration with Member Stations.