As the creator of the Black Moms Club and the Black Parenting blog, I had the pleasure of interviewing Raven Symone, getting the inside scoop on Disney’s soon to be released animated movie, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue.
Raven plays, “Iridessa”, a light fairy who brings light to all the little plants and animals. She also happens to be one of Tinker Bell’s best friends.
LaShanda: We’ve all grown up with Tinker Bell, how does it feel to be a part of the story?
Raven: It’s really exciting. If you go to my mom’s house, in my room in the drawers underneath my television you’ll find every Disney animated movie on VHS. When I first found out about this, I knew I had to be a part of it. I’ve always loved the part in Peter Pan where we have to clap to keep Tinker Bell alive. I’m thrilled to be a part of the story of Tinker Bell and I love being able to play such a beautiful black character.
LaShanda: What’s your favorite part about Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue?
Raven: I love that the fairies stand for amazing things like nature and friendship. They each have unique identities that can appeal to different types of young girls.
LaShanda: What can little girls learn from this story?
Raven: They can learn about being understanding of other people, being adventurous, and trusting in friends. And parents should watch with their kids because if you follow Lizzy, the little girl in the story who loves fairies and her relationship with her father who does not believe in fairies, you’ll see its also about communication and family.
LaShanda: We’ve seen you in so many amazing roles on television and the big screen, is ‘Iridessa’ different from the other characters you have played?
Raven: Iridessa is very different from ‘Olivia’ the character I played on the Cosby show to my character on ‘That’s So Raven’. She likes to play it safe, whereas those other characters were more adventurous, loud mouthed (lol) and take charge.
LaShanda: Do you have anything in common with Iridessa?
Raven: Well she likes to play it safe, while on a good day I’m adventurous. Like Iridessa, I am always down to help my friends.
LaShanda: We know Iridessa’s talent is light. If we had Raven the Fairy, what would your talent be?
Raven: I think I would be a water fairy. I like to go with the flow and I’d be able to stop it from raining, so it wouldn’t mess up my hair (lol).
LaShanda: Disney has given us our first African American Princess, the beautiful Princess Tiana from Princess and the Frog and now we have the lovable Iridessa. What do you think about these new animated characters of color and their importance to little girls?
Raven: I think Disney was waiting for the right time to come out with these very strong and beautiful characters and share them with the world.
I had such a great time speaking with the beautiful and talented Raven Symone, who I've been honored to also feature on my SistaSense.com blog as one of our Successful Sistas who's made over $400 million in her career!
I have to agree with Raven on two points… I think most of us sistas would love to be water fairies to keep our hair nice and right during those rainy days (lol). And as a Disney Magical Mocha Mom, I first hand see Disney’s commitment to diversity and the creation of characters that all little girls and boys can enjoy.
Definitely look out for the release of the new animated Tinker Bell DVD. If you’d like to win one, enter the Black Moms Club Giveaway: Disney DVD - Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue.
Related:
Learn More About Raven Symone’s Character Iridessa
Watch a Sneak Peak of Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Terry Crews Talks About New Sitcom ‘Are We There Yet?’ And his Real-Life Blended Family
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