BNV BLACK PEARLS: Halle Bailey rises above race-related criticism, shines in ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘The Color Purple’

This has been an incredible year for actress, singer Halle Bailey, and the upsurges continue to flow. NABJ Black News & Views is naming her a Black Pearl because of the positive example she set for Black girls and women this& year, maintaining her grace despite backlash from her groundbreaking role as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” remake. In May, with Bailey steering the vessel, the greatly anticipated remake of the Disney movie “The Little Mermaid” sailed into theaters with a wave of excited moviegoers, critical praise, unnecessary controversy, and exceptional talent with Bailey at the helm. Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid. ” Photo credit: Giles Keyte, Disney Enterprises, Inc. And the year is ending with the multitalented entertainer co-starring in a reimagined take on “The Color Purple” produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones and Scott Sanders. Winfrey co-starred in the original 1985 “The Color Purple,” produced by Spielberg and Jones. Two of the biggest movies of the year feature Bailey, who is 23 and stands at 5 feet two inches tall.& When it was announced that Bailey was cast as Ariel in the live-action remake of the Disney 1989 animated “The Little Mermaid,”...