BREAKING NEWS: Bob Iger and Bob Chapek Address Unrest In Country With Message To Employees
Since the killing of George Floyd over the Memorial Day weekend, our country has been in a state of shock, mourning and in some instances unrest. As we woke up this morning to news of riots throughout the country The Walt Disney Company has released a statement to employees to address these devastating incidents and to offer support to Disney Cast Members. The letter was signed by Bob Chapek, Bob Iger and Latondra Newton and you can see it in its entirety below.
A chain portrait of George Floyd is part of the memorial for him, Wednesday, May 27, 2020, near the site of the arrest of Floyd who died in police custody Monday night in Minneapolis after video shared online by a bystander showed a white officer kneeling on his neck during his arrest as he pleaded that he couldn’t breathe. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Resolve in a Time of Unrest: A Message to Fellow Employees:
Dear Fellow Employee,
The recent killing of George Floyd, as well as other instances of lethal attacks and harassment of unarmed black citizens in our nation, continue to drive outrage and calls for action by people of all cultural backgrounds, including many of our employees. Feelings of grief and anger cause us to confront the inscrutable idea that the lives of some are deemed less valuable – and less worthy of dignity, care and protection – than the lives of others.
While these devastating incidents are not new, there’s something unique about what’s happening in this moment. The pandemic coupled with these recent injustices have pushed the issues of racial disparity into the open.
We, too, are struggling to make sense of the recent tragedies that leave us feeling overcome with sorrow. While we don’t have all the answers, we resolve to use our compassion, our creative ideas and our collective sense of humanity to ensure we are fostering a culture that acknowledges our people’s feelings and their pain. We also realize that now more than ever is the time for us all to further strengthen our commitment to diversity and inclusion everywhere.
We intend to focus our efforts and resources to compassionately and constructively talk about these matters openly and honestly as we seek solutions. We intend to keep the conversation going, not just today, but for as long as it takes to bring about real change.
Bob Chapek, Bob Iger & Latondra Newton
It is with a very heavy heart that all of us here at MickeyBlog pass on this statement and our thoughts are with George Floyd’s family and all of those impacted by this devastating act.
