To avoid becoming the target of the Trump administration’s campaign against diversity, equality, and inclusion programs, Disney looks to be scaling back some of its DEI activities.
In its most recent regulatory filing, the entertainment giant removed references to the “Reimagine Tomorrow” campaign, which debuted in 2021 with the goal of promoting underrepresented voices. It also failed to include staff development programs and fellowships for diverse talent, instead highlighting an existing drive to hire military veterans.
Sonia Coleman, chief human resources officer, explained the change in a memo to employees delivered on Tuesday. It introduces a new “talent strategy” factor into executive compensation planning that evaluates how leaders “uphold our company values, incorporate different perspectives to drive business success, cultivate an environment where all employees can thrive, and sustain a robust pipeline to ensure long-term organizational strength.”
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The revisions come amid the government’s growing campaign against DEI programs run by private corporations. Trump has signed an executive order mandating a probe into potentially illegal DEI procedures for violations of federal civil rights laws, but it is unclear what he is referring to, among other things.
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The government’s demand to end programs that exclude specific groups based on race has caused numerous corporations to abandon initiatives to increase diversity in their workforce. Although some members of the corporate sector began to avoid publicly referencing race in such programs prior to Trump’s inauguration, the disengagement accelerated after he took office. In response to the changing policy landscape, Meta, Amazon, and Google have begun to phase down diversity efforts.
Disney, like most other firms, does not specifically include race in their DEI objectives, instead focusing on “underrepresented backgrounds.” Its worries center on the risk that various programs, including one that requires at least half of production and writing staff to be from underrepresented groups, will impose discriminatory hiring practices.
In December, a new structure was introduced to Disney’s corporate impact website. The message from Coleman states that it is “rooted in our efforts to enhance our employee experience” and “marks the evolution of the significant work done with Reimagine Tomorrow.”
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In the securities filing, the corporation still mentions an executive incubator and a creative talent development program aimed at promoting people from “underrepresented” communities.
Other adjustments are being considered. According to a person acquainted with the issue, content advisories will be applied in 2020 for iconic Disney animated and live action titles such as Peter Pan, The Aristocats, and Dumbo, moving from the beginning of movies to an educational tab. The announcement states: “This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.”
Since its inception, Disney+ has included warnings against “outdated cultural depictions” on its film titles, but the most recent language goes even further, advising against racial and culturally insensitive images in its films. The company worked with a third-party advisory committee that comprised the African American Film Critics Association, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, and GLAAD, among others.
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Conservatives have lambasted Disney in recent years for including racially diverse and LGBT characters in its films. In a Nov. 29 interview at The New York Times’ DealBook event, weeks after The Marvels failed in their box office debut en route to $206 million globally, Disney CEO Bob Iger recognized the impact of the company’s culture war detractors on its operations. “Creators lost sight of what their No. 1 objective needed to be,” he told me. “We need to amuse first. “It’s not about messages.”
Last year, Stephen Miller’s America First Legal foundation attacked Disney’s DEI programs, claiming that measures to increase diversity and inclusion violate civil rights laws and have lowered the entertainment company’s worth.
At the time, the entertainment conglomerate was still fighting a high-profile legal dispute with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over ownership of its special tax district, which granted the business special powers in the state to manage the property on which its huge theme parks are located. Like America First, the Republican governor chastised the firm for its “woke” content decisions.
Gina Carano has filed a lawsuit for discrimination and wrongful termination after she was allegedly sacked from The Mandalorian due to a series of social media remarks. Elon Musk, who previously stated that Iger should be “fired immediately” after Disney pulled ads from X, is sponsoring the lawsuit.
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