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    Actress, singer and author Jenifer Lewis is reflecting on the impact of her role as Mama Odie in Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog.” 

    The story of Disney’s first Black princess continues to live on through Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World and Disneyland and in Tiana’s Joyful Celebration, a new joint exhibition presented by Disney and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Lewis, who voices Mama Odie in the exhibit, spoke with the Recorder ahead of her June 5 talkback at the Madam Walker Legacy Center.

    Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

    Can you talk about the impact “Princess and the Frog” has had on your life?

    Jenifer Lewis: Well, I’ll tell you one thing: every time I walk down the street, somebody knows I’m Mama Odie. I’m like, “Do I look like Mama Odie right now?” They go, “It’s Mama Odie,” because now they will put my picture next to Mama Odie, so the kids know me. All I can tell you is that it’s magical when the kids recognize me for Mama Odie, with all the work I’ve done. It’s Mama Odie from “Princess and the Frog.”

    You’re affectionately known as the “Mother of Black Hollywood.” What is one thing you want people to remember or cherish about your impact on the arts?

    Jenifer Lewis talks about her legacy as
    Jenifer Lewis talks about her legacy as “Mama Odie” in Disney’s “Princess and the Frog” at Tiana’s Joyful Celebration on June 5 at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. (Photo/TiffanyNmose)

    Lewis: Wow, I want people to remember that I put a lot of love into the work that I’ve done. I’m one of the lucky ones. I got to do what I love, so I’ve honored that for most of my career. It’s the love; it’s the love of the arts, it’s the love of creating magic; just the objective to give the children culture and grace at the same time, history. This is what the exhibit is showing us here at the museum right now. It’s interactive, it’s a celebration, and I’m honored to be a part of it.

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    With all that you have accomplished (iconic movie roles, TV series, author, Broadway performances), what continues to motivate you to create? And why is representation in art so important?

    Lewis: The arts… It’s what makes us complete. Our imagination; that’s what the kids get to express when they come here to this exhibit — their imagination, their desire to know more, to learn more.

    This is storytelling. It introduces them to a culture that goes back to the beginning, the Mississippi jazz music, the food that came over from Africa, (which) lives in the Creole world to this day. I’m very excited about it. I just took the tour, and I feel like a kid. I feel like I just learned so much that I didn’t know. But what’s more important … than history?

    Jenifer Lewis will join the Madam Walker Legacy Center for a talkback celebrating Tiana’s Joyful Celebration at 5 p.m. on June 5. For more information or tickets, visit madamwalkerlegacycenter.com.

    Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.

    The post Q&A: Jenifer Lewis talks legacy, representation and Tiana’s Joyful Celebration appeared first on Indianapolis Recorder.

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