Ms. TRICE: You know, Neal, I think that when people say it's about time, they're giving Disney kind of this wait or it's like, well, there's a validation that's kind of implied there. And I don't know. I find that - I understand why people say it's about time, and I appreciate it. But I find that a little disturbing in that, you know, until Disney puts it out there

CONAN: It's not valid, yeah.

Ms. TRICE: It's not valid. Yeah.

CONAN: It's also interesting in your piece in the Chicago Tribune, you wrote that this film has attracted a specific demographic.

Ms. TRICE: Yes. I - before I arrived at the theater, I had been talking to some people, colleagues, friends and even readers, black women - middle-aged, black women. I'd say black women between - well, I'd say maybe over 35 years old and middle class. And these women were just really - I mean, you could see the twinkle in their eyes when they were talking about going to see this movie. And it occurred to me that - and, you know, and some of them - some of the women weren't necessarily mothers. They were taking nieces and, you know, planning to take nieces and maybe neighbor friends or something.

But it occurred to me that there is that something that has carried over from maybe childhood, back when it - in the time when, you know, little black girls, it was almost the furthest things from our imagination to think in terms of being a princess or even a Disney - I should say a Disney princess.

CONAN: Disneyfied princess. Yes.

Ms. TRICE: Yes. Yes. And so that - this is welcomed to them, and it is historic, and it's a big deal. And I was - even in the theater, I was sitting not far from a group of women who were just - I mean, they were - I would say they were as captivated by this movie as maybe the children who had come with them.

CONAN: Let's talk with Sidiqua(ph), Sidiqua with us from Tallahassee.

SIDIQUA (Caller): Thanks for taking my call.

CONAN: Sure.

SIDIQUA: I don't have any girls. I have all the boys and I am, like, those women, I suppose, excited to see it. I'm in my 30s. And I don't think it's about - I don't think that it's, per se, that if Disney doesn't validate it, it's not validated. But I think it's more about branding. We all know the branding the Disney do and we all know the effects on the self-esteem their branding can do.

CONAN: So are you

SIDIQUA: I think it's about time in that context.

CONAN: And are you going to take a small child as cover?

SIDIQUA: I'm definitely looking for a little girl to take in. I would like to take black and white. And my family, we aren't necessarily allowed, if you will, and it's common in the black community. You can't buy - like I have a niece. And if you're going to buy her anything, it can't have a white face on it.

CONAN: Mm-hmm.

SIDIQUA: And it's not too strictly not about white people, it's about the branding aspect. Like you see that already on TV and everywhere else. And so we need black dolls, we need black princesses, and so I think it's about time in that aspect. But I'm very excited about it. I'm very excited that they put Carol's daughter with it to get the product, which is another - she's a sister. So I'm very excited about the whole concept of it.

CONAN: Okay.

Ms. TRICE: And you're talking about the merchandising. The - I mean, there's a lot. Of course, it's Disney, and so there is that line. There's a line of beauty products

SIDIQUA: Right.

Ms. TRICE: that will accompany - and dolls and other - and clothing that will accompany Princess Tiana, the brand. But

SIDIQUA: Yup.

CONAN: Sidiqua, have a good time.

SIDIQUA: Thank you. I will.

Ms. TRICE: You know, Neal, there's a generational difference here, as well. And I do believe that younger kids - as I said, I went to the theater with my 14-year-old daughter. And I think that younger girls - and whether they're black or white - but specifically black girls, they aren't - I'm not certain that they're really getting the same - or feeling that same level of intensity of -that this is such a historic event because, you know, they live in a world in which they've got two little princesses in the White House?

CONAN: Hmm.

Ms. TRICE: ?and Malia and Sasha Obama. And they're - how they view themselves, it's not perfect but it's very different from the way that their mother, their parents view themselves coming up in terms of beauty and body image.

So I think that while they appreciate Princess Tiana, they - you know, she's kind of a part of their existence these days, you know? It's like it's no biggie.

CONAN: Let's go next to Donna(ph), Donna with us from Cincinnati.

DONNA (Caller): Hi. Thanks for taking my call. I am one of those middle-aged, black women. And when I grew up, of course, you know, we didn't have a black Disney princess. Well, now, I have a daughter who's eight years old, and I intend to go and see the movie with her to make it sort of a girls' day out. But I think it's important on more than one level because, you know, when you have a daughter who doesn't really have a positive image in the doll collections that she has, and she has all the other Barbie dolls or the other -I'm sorry - the other Disney dolls.

CONAN: Mm-hmm.

DONNA: And we have our collection, and I decorated her room with them. And she has Jasmine - Princess Jasmine and - but she doesn't have Tiana as of yet. And I, obviously, plan on adding that to her collection.

But I think Disney did a great service to black women and girls by doing this because, you know, yes we do have the Obama girls in the White House. However, they don't see them all the time. When they come home and they're in their room playing, they're not playing with those kids. So they go to schools and my daughter goes to a predominantly white school. So she needs a positive image when she's playing with dolls and looking for toy options. So I just want to thank Disney for that.

CONAN: All right, Donna. Thank you.

DONNA: Thank you.

CONAN: And, Dawn, we just have a few seconds with you left. But the prince in the movie, well, for most of the movie, he's a frog but he's green. But he is not?

Ms. TRICE: They both are, actually.

CONAN: Yeah, they both are. Yeah. But he is not black, and has that turned out to be important to people?

Ms. TRICE: Well, it may be important to some - it has been important. Some people have commented about that. But I think what's really interesting, at least for me, was that Tiana had such a strong father figure, and he was such a huge presence in her life, like her first love. And I think - and for me, that kind of - it - you know, it doesn't matter - it wouldn't matter anyway. But I think that it does kind of water down the whole notion that we don't know what - we don't know the race of the prince, but he's not African American. And -but I think that it's in keeping with the theme of this movie that, you know, race really kind of - it's not all that important. You don't know the race of the alligator or the firefly. They have a certain dialect, but maybe it's that they're black, maybe they're just of New Orleans. It's the accent there. So I kind of like the melding of that - the race issue.

CONAN: Dawn Turner Trice writes the Exploring Race column for the Chicago Tribune and appears in this program regularly. Thanks very much for your time.

Ms. TRICE: Thank you.

CONAN: She joins us today from Chicago Public Radio. And you are listening to TALK OF THE NATION, coming to you from NPR News.