On July 13, 2019, Halle Bailey was announced as Ariel in the live-action retelling of “The Little Mermaid”. For many, this was cause for celebration. Black Twit- ter met the announcement with a sea of unbridled support. Fans of the alternative sister duo, Chloe x Halle, rejoiced. For we know, Halle has a voice that a certain sea witch couldn’t help but be envious of. Wide-eyed Black girls uttering “Mommy, she looks just like me” starred in an adorable array of viral clips. Unfortunately, not all of the reception was positive. Angry groups of dissenters have taken to critiquing every aspect of the cast- ing from complaints surrounding the brightness of Halle’s hair to her darker skin tone. My personal favorite baseless critique is that “scientifically” a Black mermaid wouldn’t make any sense. Alleg- edly, mermaids would have no access to sunlight and couldn’t develop melanin … Analyzing the scientific realism of a being that’s half human, half fish, and capable of breathing underwater is a job that not even Bill Nye is qualified for. Everyone has appointed them- selves a jaded film critic and made a 23-year-old Black woman their sole target. Recently, the film’s second trailer garnered over three million dislikes on YouTube in the span of a few weeks. A #Not- MyAriel campaign also surfaced on Twitter. Under this hashtag, you can find Halle being the tar- get of racial slurs and countless insults regarding her physical appearance. Some users are even going as far as to edit white skin and blue eyes onto images of Halle as Ariel. While all critiques aren’t this drastic, a common complaint circulating has to do with Holly- wood making a habit of “Black- washing” white characters. Those who oppose a “Black Ariel” claim that the white char- acters they grew up with are being erased. A small, but vocal, pond of gingers are even upset that their redhead representation has been stolen, coining this phenomenon: “gingercide.” Be astronomically for real. The idea that representation is being taken from white audiences is ridiculous. If white people are seeking to see themselves in the form of a Disney Princess, they still have an array of porcelain sopranos to choose from. Look no further than Snow White, Cin- derella or modern figures such as Rapunzel and Anna (oh look red- heads, you got another one!). Bet- ter yet, if you want your original white and fiery-haired Ariel, she is available to you at any point in time via Disney+ for only $7.99 per month. Another common complaint is that whitewashing is never acceptable in the reverse. “Why can’t white actors play charac- ters of color?” Well, they already have … There is large historical precedent in support of white- washing. White creatives have cast white performers in “racially diverse” roles and perpetrated harm through caricatures of eth- nic experiences for over a century. Minstrel shows were the first uniquely American live theater productions. In the early 19th century, white actors donning black face, exaggerated red lips and coarse wigs performed stage plays riddled with various rac- ist stereotypes. Decades later, actor Mickey Rooney played Mr. Yunioshi in “Breakfast at Tif- fany’s”. Mr. Yunioshi is an Asian man with artificial slanted eyes and an exaggerated accent. Mick- ey Rooney is a blue-eyed white man. More modern examples of this American staple include Gerard Butler (a white man) play- ing an Egyptian deity in “Gods of Egypt”, and Scarlett Johansson (a white woman) cosplaying as Asian for “Ghost in the Shell’s” two-hour run-time. Whitewashing is a cancer that has pervaded performance arts for years. Not only does this rob minorities of the chance to see themselves on screen, it steals agency from performers of Color, bars them from telling their own stories and refuses them access to an inequitable film industry. If anything, with casting choices like Halle Bailey, Hollywood is only beginning to make up for lost time. These shifts in casting are only a small step in healing decade-old wounds and adding diversity to projects created in less progressive eras. Whitewash- ing has the exact opposite impact and only works to strip away the representation marginalized demographics have had to fight tooth and nail for. Whitewashing also tends to interfere with the believability of narratives. Typically, the eth- nicities of characters of Color are essential to their storylines. The Louisiana Bayou backdrop, cen- tral voodoo elements, and soulful blues music in “The Princess and the Frog” don’t work with a white protagonist. A white man being the king of Wakanda, an uncolo- nized African nation, wouldn’t make sense in any context. Con- trarily, “The Little Mermaid” is a relatively untethered coming-of- age story, focusing on a fictional creature with zero mention of race. There is no vocal demo- graphic of mermaids that will be audibly offended if they are “inac- curately” represented. Ariel is a blank slate. Rebelling against your parents or wanting to explore the world are not uniquely white experiences. If white children and white gingers could see them- selves in a mermaid, they should have no problem relating to a black woman. The beauty of an adaptation is the opportunity to retell a clas- sic story with a modern audience in mind. On paper, Black Ariel just makes sense. For starters, the original film’s soundtrack has very obvious Caribbean influences. The musical number, “Under the Sea” was composed with a blend of calypso Trinida- dian music and reggae sonics. “Kiss the Girl” even goes as far as sampling Harry Belafonte’s song “Jamaica Farewell.” The story itself also becomes more nuanced with the addition of a Black protagonist. Ariel feels like an outsider in her world and longs to be part of a larger society that refuses to accept people like her — this clearly parallels the reality of many Black Americans navigating this country. There is always an underlying feeling of discomfort or invalidity associated with hold- ing marginalized identities. It is difficult to truly feel a part of a world that was built through your oppression. Narratively, a Black woman begging to be seen in a land that ignores her existence is infinitely more powerful than a girl who merely wants to travel and trade her fins for legs. A Black child getting her voice stolen by a villainess white woman also takes on a deeper meaning with this reimagining. It’s no secret that Black music, style and aesthetics are frequently colonized by white people, and appropriated for their benefit. Am I reading too deeply into a story containing a magical belting octopus and a six-packed sea god? Possibly, but I’m not claiming these were intentional choices, just that they’re interest- ing to analyze and have the poten- tial to bring new life into an old project. There is no better fit for bring- ing Ariel to life than Halle Bailey, the exceptionally talented singer, actress and Black woman. Halle Bailey does not deserve internet trolls and heated controversy. Halle Bailey deserves a relentless wave of “thank you”s. Thank you for ushering a lead Black heroine into the living rooms of count- less Black children. Thank you for acting as a symbol for youth that are constantly forced to question their beauty and value. Thank you for letting the Black kids with starter locs or plaits reaching down their backs know that they too can be royalty. Thank you to #OurAriel for telling every Black girl in America that she can be anything she wants to be, even a princess and a mermaid. Michigan in Color The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com In defense of “Black Ariel” JAMES SCARBOROUGH MiC Columnist Design by Haylee Bohn Wednesday, April 19, 2023 — 9 What she knows Content warning: mentions of violence and sexual themes. I don’t believe in fickle things like gold or fate But my mother taught me how to listen when the universe hums a soft siren song How strange is it I found you and time seemed to stop the same day I lost my favorite watch I liked dancing alone But you never gave me a choice Calloused fingers yanked me into your waltz so fast I lost count One, two, three One, two, three We floated delicately around each other breaths bated not quite touching I twirled on my toes it was dizzying A thousand jittery butterflies enveloped me in their sweet embrace I cursed when the clouds darkened You didn’t mind much (you wel- comed the cool wind) I minded too much (I missed the way the sun made your hair glow) The real tragedy was when the sky unleashed her pouring wrath Do you remember how quickly we tumbled down that yellow cob- blestone street? My right foot slipped on wet stone You grabbed my hand without looking as if your instincts were wired to catch me when I inevitably fall before you I flicked damp hair off your cheek Your palm found home on the nape of my neck and when our lips met you laughed into my mouth It was funny How the rain stopped soon after Almost as if its only purpose was to urge your hand to grab mine My touch was static charged volts with violent desires I drew back to contain the sparks You cried out and placed my hand on your heart You thought the electricity would bring you back to life But you never blinked when I failed to thread the needle every stitch incomplete The water spills past the dam, still Did you want me to drown? When our legs were entangled and my curls splayed across your pillowcase my battle scars disguised them- selves as marks of your affection Purple and blue and yellow On my neck chest stomach in between my thighs I didn’t know I was a masochist I would bite your skin aching to show you I, too, could play your games The white handkerchief taunted me I used it to wipe the blood trickling down my chin I would let myself burn if that’s what you wanted Rub me into your wounds My ashes could be your salve But if we were so vicious together Why does the wind scream in my ears and push my body backward so I stumble into your arms once again? What does mother earth know that I don’t? DHEEKSHA KRISHNAN MiC Columnist Michigan in Color host bi-annual Art Expo This past weekend, over 100 community members on and off campus had the opportunity to attend Michigan in Color’s sec- ond exhibit of static and perfor- mance art –– a tradition that is becoming a highlight for artists and art lovers on campus. While named differently than last se- mester’s “Open MiC Night,” this year’s show –– donned the “MiC Arts Expo” –– once again brought artists of Color together in a space meant for anyone and everyone to enjoy. As attendees started gather- ing in the event space at Cahoots Cafe, they were given the oppor- tunity to see stunning static art including tapestries, prints, fash- ion pieces and MiC’s very own Black Hair Series. After days of gloomy weather, the sun radiated through the skylights and the excitement of spring reverber- ated through the audience. The seats filled up quickly and within minutes of the show starting the room was filled to the brim. As everyone started to settle in, School of Information soph- omore and MiC photographer Akash Dewan and former MiC Managing Editor Eliya Imtiaz opened up the show. Imtiaz said she was grateful for having this space again, as she and Dewan had the original idea of founding Open MiC Night in the fall. The show started off with a classical Indian music perfor- mance by Sikander Choudhary, an LSA freshman and queer Desi musician trained in Hindustani classical music. The opening per- formance was followed by vari- ous other musical performances, each one carrying its own cul- tural and unique purpose. After a series of vocal performances, “Karis Clark and Co.” refreshed the audience with a fusion of im- prov, comedy and rap. As the intermission came around, the audience was once again given the opportunity to view the static art and grab cof- fee from the cafe. Art and Design sophomore Sonia Xiang, one of the static artists, expressed being grateful for a space to talk about her own art while also hearing from other artists. “I really enjoyed the event and liked that I could have conver- sations and meet so many new people in this space,” Xiang said. Among the three pieces, Xiang displayed a fashion garment on a mannequin titled “Interwoven, 2023”. In the description of the piece, Xiang wrote, “This is an ongoing piece that I created in an exploration of collection, memo- ry and identity by taking objects and scraps that were once im- portant in my past and using it to create something unrecognizably new from foundations of past memories.” Static artists accom- panied their pieces with vivid de- scriptions of their goals as artists and often discussed how their identities were at the forefront of their art.. After the intermission, the show resumed with Pluot, a Jap- anese rock band from Ann Arbor. Band singer Echo Bennett, an Engineering sophomore, intro- duced the band and remarked on how their band has a reputation for “blowing things up.” Their performance was an exciting change of pace for the audience and an enjoyable musical experi- ence. In an interview with band leader and guitarist Takahito Mori, an LSA junior, Mori said he was appreciative of the oppor- tunity to play in a more intimate setting. “This wasn’t our usual thing since we’re usually somewhere where we make a bunch of noise but it felt very supportive and the cheers were really great. I could tell that everyone was here just to enjoy art and for no other pur- pose,” Mori said. Toward the end of the show Business junior Roman Rhone, who performed last semester, came for another performance on the steel drums. At the end of his performance, Rhone said he was surprised that so many peo- ple came out to support the arts, which was followed by audience laughter. “This turnout is really great — I’m surprised these many people enjoy art,” Rhone said. The show ended with Dewan giving his final remarks speaking about his own experience. “Being in creator spheres I long for communities like this, for rooms packed full of people that appreciate art and artists of Color,” Dewan said. “It genuinely feels like a safe space, while that word is thrown around a lot this is the first time I have actually felt it.” The MiC Art Expo is a distinc- tive campus event for artists of Color to have a space of appre- ciation and for the public to see a dynamic gathering of students and Ann Arbor residents. We were thrilled to continue provid- ing a space that we created last semester and we hope to keep doing so every semester moving forward. We would like to thank all the artists, attendees and per- formers that took the time to be in this space and we look forward to seeing you again! Renee Thomas/MiC Nolan Lopez/MiC SHANIA BAWEJA MiC Assistant Editor Akash Dewan/MiC