Fear of a Black Mermaid

                                                  The Little Mermaid movie, starring Halle Bailey, won’t be released until 2023 and already there have been waves of protest about a Black actor being cast for what the outraged consider a “White” role. Why is so much energy spent arguing whether a mermaid can be Black? Does casting a Black Ariel make it a “Black story”? And why is speculative fiction (and some of its fans) – a genre that includes fantasy, science fiction, and horror – so eager to subvert some conventions but so resistant to subverting others, including those related to race and ethnicity? Tracey Baptiste and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas will speak and answer questions about all this topic . Click here to register.