With contemporary feminism on the rise, it seems more children, particularly girls, are aware of the once taboo term. Through the dissemination of ‘girl power’ narratives in popular children’s film and TV, it’s no wonder Disney has hopped on the trend with the likes of ‘empowering’ protagonists Moana and Merida. However, older Disney films have been subject to criticism for a while now for their portrayal of women. It’s clear the Disney Princess brand will not be going anywhere anytime soon, and that the company are trying to change their image when it comes to female characters. But can Disney Princess films ever truly be ‘feminist’?

From the lack of black female leads in these types of movies and shows, it appears to be a struggle for a black woman to play a role that has no negative attributes attached to it, or to play a role without black topics and struggles being the main focus. Unfortunately, black people are associated with pain and negativity, which has leaked into the culture of our society. This association stems back to the historical colonisation era, when black people were not only exploited socially and economically but were also dehumanised and sold into slavery. Although this era ended, the consequences remained in the form of negative stereotypes about black people and about black women in particular…

These books, these stories, taught me more about feminism than any article, essay, or history lesson. They opened up different worlds to me, different perspectives; they opened my eyes to the importance of intersectionality, and the vast spectrum of women’s lived experiences…