Princess Carolyn is a Black Woman
Why this pink cat is important for Black representation.
Princess Carolyn is the most honest portrayal of what it feels like to be a Black woman in 2020.
I’ll be the first to admit that this is niche. As a Black woman, I often look for representation through women who look like me. Women with my hair type, skin shade, and body dimensions. While I’ve found that beneficial, it’s only helped me so far as seeing my physical likeness portrayed on television.
I’m not sure if this is blasphemous to say, but I don’t see much of myself in Michelle Obama. Or Oprah. Or Beyonce. I’m not living the life of any of the cast of Black-ish. I love the representation they provide in popular media of Black women, but I don’t see any of my lived experiences reflected in theirs.
Their lives and experiences have value and resonate with many other women. It’s just not been mine.
That’s where Princess Carolyn came in. While she is a pink cat, I resonate with her experiences. Experiences that I know are quite common among young Black women. Her character provides context for much of the most common Black woman tropes we see on television. She’s from a poor single-mother home, built herself up from the ground…
