Certainly it’s a coincidence that Tiana, Disney animated films’ only Black princess, is the face of the company’s new Dig 'n Dips watermelon-flavored candy, right? Maybe, maybe not, either way the new candy has critics up in arms.

On the recently released Dig ‘n Dips Valentine’s Day card packets, a fair-skinned Sleeping Beauty is seen smiling on the vanilla side of the fun-dip-type candy. Next to her, Tiana adorns the watermelon flavored side.

For years, watermelons have been used to stereotype Blacks as ignorant, mindless buffoons.

Although some may say Disney made an honest mistake, this is not the first time the company has been accused of portraying racial stereotypes through their characters. The company has also caught heat from their stereotypical portrayal of Indians through their “Red Man" Indian chief character in Peter Pan, the evolving portrayal of Black characters as crows in Dumbo and Blacks as monkeys in The Jungle Book.

Accident or not, since mistakes have been made in the past, it would be a good idea for Disney to quality-assure a product before it goes public.

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(Photo: Disney)