Disney pledges $5 million donation to social justice nonprofits amid George Floyd protests

Nick Romano
·3 min read

After making a show of support for the black community in light of the ongoing George Floyd-fueled protests, the Walt Disney Company, Hollywood's biggest studio, pledged a total of $5 million in donations to support social justice nonprofits.

The first is a $2 million contribution to the NAACP "to further their longstanding work promoting social justice by eliminating disparities and racial discrimination through their advocacy and education programs," the company announced Wednesday.

Ryan Wendler/Disney

Disney also pledged to match employee donations to organizations through the Disney Employee Matching Gifts program.

"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," Disney CEO Bob Chapek said in a statement. "This $5 million pledge will continue to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations such as the NAACP that have worked tirelessly to ensure equality and justice."

Disney reported a revenue of $18.01 billion in quarter two earnings in early May. Like the rest of Hollywood, however, the studio continues to feel the burn of the coronavirus, as its theme parks had been entirely closed for months and movie theaters remain largely closed.

Disney — which owns Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, ABC, ESPN, and more — ranked among the media companies releasing statements of solidarity with protestors as nationwide demonstrations against racial injustice and police brutality began, sparked by the death of Floyd, a black Minneapolis resident, after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

"We stand against racism," a statement shared across the many Disney-owned social media channels said Sunday. "We stand for inclusion. We stand with our fellow Black employees, storytellers, creators and the entire Black community. We must unite and speak out."

On Tuesday, Disney aired programming across multiple TV networks in the spirit of promoting discussions about racism and oppression in America. That included the America in Pain: What Comes Next? prime-time special on ABC News, followed by a re-airing of black-ish episodes "Hope" and "Juneteenth."

To help combat systemic racism, please consider donating to these organizations:

  • Campaign Zero, which is dedicated to ending police brutality in America through research-based strategies.

  • Color of Change, which works to move decision makers in corporations and government to be more responsive to racial disparities.

  • Equal Justice Initiative, which provides legal services to people who have been wrongly convicted, denied a fair trial, or abused in state jails and prisons.

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