Carter’s colleague Carmen Smith, also a Black woman and senior vice president of Executive Creative Development, Content and Inclusive Strategies at Walt Disney Experiences, spoke about how important it was for her to see Tiana’s story come to life. She told us that even in the early stages of developing the character, she knew Tiana’s “story had a greater destiny.” Of course, Princess Tiana took inspiration from legendary New Orleans chef Leah Chase, also known as the “Queen of Creole Cuisine.” Smith described Chase as “the iconic figure of New Orleans who carries all the qualities of kindness, warmth, community, family and is a great source of inspiration for all of us.” When Chase was still alive (she died in 2019 at the age of 96) , she spoke to Oprah.com about how Disney first approached her about adapting her life to Tiana’s story. “They had a Cinderella, they had a Snow White, they had all kinds of little white princesses, so I guess the creators thought it was time to show a black princess,” she said. “And this is the cutest thing, and they did it in such a beautiful way.”
