These Photos of Black Disney Princesses Are The #BlackGirlMagic You Need

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Source: CreativeSoul Photography / CreativeSoul Photography

With everything going on right now—a coronavirus pandemic still raging on and Black people being caught in the crosshairs of police brutality and racism—it is important to take some to celebrate who we are, outside of our oppression.

Remember: Our love, beauty and happiness are acts of resistance.

This is why a new stunning photo series, African-American Princess Series, is so important. Created by hairstylist LaChanda Gatson and child photographers CreativeSoul Photography, “this reimaging and redefining of the traditional princess” is a breathtaking way to remind our girls that they also deserve to see themselves as royalty, heroes and pretty. But it also allows for them to see themselves as Snow White, Rapunzel and other iconic characters that we’ve been told were white.

Gatson tells HelloBeautiful that she created this imagery as a means to fill in the gap in Black representation geared for our girls.

“The idea was developed early on in childhood from the consistent lack of representation of black children in mostly all forms of media where children play a significant part. Even though I loved watching and reading fairytales and fantasy, I would often reimagine these characters more relatable to me and my culture,” she stressed.

From there, she looked at these beloved characters she grew up with, which included a mix of “fictional princesses and global fairytale,” from the worlds of Hans Christian Anderson, John Smith, Brothers Grimm, and Marvel, Buzzfeed noted. Yet, her spin was to recreate them with a “Black urban royalty” theme. Working with Creative Soul, an Atlanta-based company start by married couple Kahran and Regis Bethencourt, the team held photoshoots with multiple girls (including Flexin In My Complexion CEO Kheris Rogers) in Atlanta and Los Angeles, TODAY reported.

I have to stress, that each photo is absolutely stunning. With intricate luscious gowns, an array of crowns and headpieces, all drenched in rich color, each portrait truly shows the magic our girls possess.

Source: CreativeSoul Photography / CreativeSoul Photography

They are also quite inspiring, as Gatson hopes this will empower those who see themselves in these girls.

“I hope this series is just the beginning of endless opportunities of inclusion and more black creativity in fantasy. Let’s continue to have a conversation and understand that our children matter to,” she also told HB.