Moon Girl is representing Black girl magic.
The Bold and the Beautiful actress Diamond White has become the first Black teen superheroine in her new role on the Disney+ series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
According to People, the 24-year-old made her debut as Moon Girl, also known as Lunella Lafayette, when the series released earlier this month.
“It’s really cool,” White said. “I think that you have to show representation to younger kids.”
Reportedly, the network described Moon Girl as one of the most brilliant characters in the Marvel universe. “With her superpower of pure intellect and the real-life power of STEM, she uses her smarts combined with determination and confidence to protect her beloved Lower East Side neighborhood from danger,” the network shared.
White’s mission for her role is to amplify the idea of girls embracing both beauty and brains.
“It’s cool to be smart. I wish I had a show like this growing up, because then maybe I would’ve been a little bit smarter,” White said. “It’s really an all inclusive show. It’s really beautiful.”
“It teaches you a lot about quantum physics. You learn about science and stuff, but not only does she do a lot of science-y things, she also is just a 13-year-old Black girl growing up,” she added.
White, a previous contestant on X Factor, said seeing a Black superheroine like her character would have made life a little easier. She recalled the perm episode that focused on the storyline of perms ruining Black girls’ hair, which is their crown.
“The ‘hair today, gone tomorrow.’ I would’ve loved to have seen a Black character getting her first perm, because that’s what I went through growing up. Maybe it would’ve deterred me from getting my first perm,” she said.
“Disney trusts me to make the right choices with her,” White said, adding that she makes sure to bring her authentic self to the Moon Girl character.
White’s character is based on the comic book Moon Girl. Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is streaming now on Disney+ and has already been renewed for season 2.