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Artist reimagines Disney princesses as black women

BLACK GIRL MAGIC: Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty by David Chester (Photo credit: David Chester / Instagram)

MANY OF us grew up on Disney princesses - from Ariel’s free flowing redhead locks to Cinderella's ‘perfectly’ golden tresses.

But for little black girls everywhere, there was a severe lack of representation and the ability to see princesses who looked like us.

Our brown allies may have had Jasmine, Pocahontas and Esmeralda, but for us black girls, we never saw ourselves in these characters.

Davian Chester, a 25-year old graphic designer and illustrator from Georgia, has done just that - reimagining some of Disney’s most famous princesses as black women, placing blackness centre stage in some of film’s most iconic characters.

Speaking to Buzzfeed, Chester said the inspiration for these images came from the “lack of representation of black women in mainstream media. I created this collection to ask people: What if some of the most iconic women in the world were black women? They would be bold, black, and beautiful with all shades of color.”

The reimagining of Disney princesses includes Snow White, Belle from “Beauty and the Beast,” Elsa and Anna from Disney’s “Frozen,” Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” Merida from Disney/Pixar’s “Brave,” Cinderella, Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog,” Aurora from “Sleeping Beauty,” and Rapunzel from “Tangled.”

See his images below:

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