Disney Pledges $5 Million To Social Justice Causes
As our country comes to terms with the death of George Floyd last week, Disney has been very vocal about their support and commitment to equality and social justice. We shared a statement made earlier in the week by Disney Chairman Bob Iger and President Bob Chapek who sent words of encouragement to cast members and outlined plans to the company more socially conscious. The company also posted across social media a statement promoting inclusion which you can see below.
Today, according to a piece in Variety, Disney is taking this one step further with a pledge of $5 million to groups that advocate for social justice. This includes a $2 million to the NAACP.
Bob Chapek said in an official statement, “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.” He added, “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.”
In addition to the pledge outlined above, The Walt Disney Company also currently has the Disney Employee Matching Gifts program which allows cast members to donate to eligible organizations and then Disney will match those donations.
The donations come after a tough week with the United States racked with large-scale protests which following the death of George Floyd. Floyd was killed in Minneapolis on May 25th after an attempted arrest resulting in a police officer being charged with using excessive force leading to his death. Video of the killing has led to protests throughout the country and across the world.
This is a story that we’ll continue to follow here at MickeyBlog. keep checking in for the latest news and updates.
Source: Variety