Equality
‘Spidey,’ ‘Mermaid’: What Representation Means to Kids
Dre’s America
The past couple of weekends, I’ve been awestruck at seeing with my own eyes the impact of films like “The Little Mermaid” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” on kids.
I’m a closet-parent, meaning that while I may not have any of my own (for now, anyway), I do love kids. And watching the way they were walking around the theaters in their costumes and being so eager and excited to experience movies like these was breaking me wide open.
I’m a closet-parent, meaning that while I may not have any of my own (for now, anyway), I do love kids.
And watching the way they were walking around the theaters in their costumes and being so eager and excited to experience movies like these was breaking me wide open.
I was literally tearing-up and grinning everywhere I looked. I almost couldn’t take how cute they were! They’re so pure and creatively open at these ages with their imaginations and dream–and to tangibly see it all so fully and colorfully on display, it was the best part of the nights for me.
This is why representation matters. Kids at this age and especially those of color, need to know that they matter.
And they need to understand that in addition to becoming their complete and fully authentic selves, they can also be doctors, lawyers, firefighters, and astronauts, and if they really want to, they can also be dinosaurs, aliens, mermaids and even superheroes.
The Little Mermaid – Final Trailer (2023)
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