Though it is possible and perhaps even likely that Carrie returned home and was pressured to change her beliefs and cease contact with the Dellums, I agree with the first part of your post.
I do not however, agree with this, excepting your first point about distracting from the issue at hand:
And obviously Disney (especially at that time) couldn't have part of the movie be about the romance between Carrie and Piper's brother. One, it would distract from the serious issue at hand, and two, while it may not seem like a big thing nowadays, even on Disney, interracial dating was very risqué a decade ago, and even worse the further you go back. Heck in the early 90's there were very few interracial couples in Film. Even if they are the pioneers of it, I will applaud Disney in breaking those barriers in 2013 with Gabe Duncan from Good Luck Charlie dating his Black Neighbor's granddaughter and even Stuart and Zuri on Jessie counts. Chyna on ANT Farm has liked more than one or two white boy too. Being black, I'm happy to see things change over the past couple decades and I'm sure things will get even better.
No offense, but in no way was any show on the current Disney Channel pioneers of ANYTHING. In my opinion it actually WASN'T seen as risque to portray an interracial couple on Disney Channel in 2003 (
a decade ago). I'm not sure where this sentiment is coming from but I suspect a bit of revisionist history is at hand here. They have been portrayed quite a few times during the late 90s and early 2000s in film and on different Disney Channel series. In my opinion, though it may be more common to see now, I think this was a period where it wasn't talked about as if it were a big deal. Now I'm strictly referring to the Disney Channel here even though that mentality spilled over in other areas of CHILDREN'S programming.
For example there was
The Famous Jett Jackson which had Kayla, a biracial character with a white father and black mother shown in the series.
There was
Hounded starring Tahj Mowry, I believe he liked his friend in that movie, cannot be sure if they outright said so or just implied, but she was white.
Also
Don't Look Under the Bed had Frances (white) and Larry Houdini (black) share a kiss onscreen.
Another is
Up, Up, and Away, the main character's white female friend was also his love interest.
Cheetah Girls, Raven Symone's love interest was white, also her character was bi-racial herself with both parents shown in a loving relationship.
And those are just examples of SOME of the black/white interracial couples portrayed on the Disney Channel. All between 1998-2003. I haven't even touched the other races or combinations.
There were also portrayals on shows like Even Stevens that just sort of blend in because it was pretty common or either something I didn't take note of back then.
I think Disney Channel, at least when I was watching it was trying to sell that racial unity ideal but they also had moments of realism. By that I mean shows like
The Famous Jett Jackson didn't ignore the issue of race but it wasn't a focal point. Movies like this one
The Color of Friendship showed a harsher side of race relations but even on the Disney Channel realism
on this level was rare. See
Tru Confessions and to a lesser degree
Don't Look Under the Bed.
I also think people exaggerate, to a degree, the idea that interracial relationships were risque especially in the 90s. Maybe, maybe in the early 90s but I notice that when they start making shows/movies about it, then it's already something that has been happening (generally accepted) for years. Now that's not to say there weren't race-related incidents because there were, but most people could get by just fine in real life. With that being said, I do believe that race relations have been MOSTLY linear as you stated, particularly in the U.S., but it's more complicated than that.
Rest in Peace Jim Kelly, you will be missed.
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