Please wait...
Please wait...

Disney pledges $5m to social justice

Protestors in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd
(Photo: Fibonacci Blue via CC)

The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) has pledged US$5m to support non-profit organisations that advance social justice following the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police last week.

Floyd died after police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while attempting to arrest him. His death has sparked continuing protests and riots across the US.

TWDC’s response will begin with a US$2m donation to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to further its longstanding work promoting social justice by eliminating disparities and racial discrimination via advocacy and education initiatives.

“The killing of George Floyd has forced our nation to once again confront the long history of injustice that black people in America have suffered, and it is critical that we stand together, speak out and do everything in our power to ensure that acts of racism and violence are never tolerated,” said TWDC CEO Bob Chapek.

“This US$5m pledge will continue to support the efforts of non-profit organisations such as the NAACP that have worked tirelessly to ensure equality and justice.”

In addition, through the Disney Employee Matching Gifts programme, employees are able to increase their impact in their communities by donating to eligible organisations, with the company matching those gifts.

It comes after TWDC aired a slate of special programming on a number of its US networks on Tuesday to encourage a discussion of racism and oppression in America.

The programming included an ABC News primetime special, America in Pain: What Comes Next?, and the re-airing of two timely episodes of Black-ish that explore the issues of police brutality and flaws in the judicial system.

Juneteenth, meanwhile, examines the lack of accurate representation of African Americans in the study of US history.

Other media companies to have responded to Floyd’s killing include JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, which has pledged to donate US$10m to charities committed to anti-racist agendas.

ViacomCBS’s US cablenets Comedy Central, MTV, Smithsonian Channel and Nickelodeon paused their programming on Monday night in tribute to Floyd, while BET has launched a month-long series of programmes addressing racism in the US.

RELATED ARTICLES

Please wait...