Photographers Recreate Disney Princesses to Empower Young Black Girls

Several artists and photographers have reimagined Disney princesses again. Now, two photographers from Atlanta have done it once again—and in a powerful way to empower black girls.

Kahran and Regis Bethencourt are a husband and wife team of professional photographers who work under the name CreativeSoul Photography. The series was a personal project led by hairstylist LaChanda Gatson, who not only created all of the hair looks, but also art directed the shoot, CreativeSoul tells The Bump. The team conducted photoshoots in both Atlanta and Los Angeles to recreate the iconic Disney princesses in a way that allowed young black girls to see themselves represented.

The photos have gone viral on Facebook, with over 27,000 likes and 82,000 reshares. The post also led many Black parents to reach out. “They said, 'Gosh, we didn’t know that we needed this, but we did,’” Kahran told Today Parents. “Traditionally, little girls want to be the princesses, but they didn’t see themselves represented. After all these years, there’s just one black Disney princess—Tiana from ‘The Princess and the Frog.’”

What makes this shoot so unique and individual is the creative freedom they utilized with their hair and wardrobe, she told the outlet.

When the Bethencourts first started working as photographers 11 years ago, with a focus on kids and the kids’ fashion industry, they noticed two things right away: a lack of diversity and a constant repression of showcasing natural hair.

“They thought that’s what their hair needed to look like to get into the fashion industry,” Kahran told the outlet. The duo made it their mission to “showcase under-celebrated beauty,” especially in Black children.

Kahran noted that the children are often surprised to see themselves in pictures. "They are often super shocked. You can see their confidence growing, which is my favorite part. They often come in a little shy or nervous, and once they see themselves, a lightbulb goes off,” she said. “It’s important for kids to be able to see themselves accurately represented in the media and in a different way than some of the stereotypes that have been hanging around in the media for years. They need to feel empowered, to see themselves represented in ways that look strong and powerful so they can imagine themselves as what they want to be in the future.”

To purchase prints from the series, visit the CreativeSoul Photo website.

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