The Walt Disney Co. Pledges $5 Million To Support Nonprofit Organizations That Advance Social Justice

The Walt Disney Co. has announced that it has pledged $5 million to support nonprofit organizations that advance social justice. The pledge started with a $2 million 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 through its advocacy and education programs.

“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,” Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Co. wrote in a press release.

“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.”

The pledge from Disney is part of its ongoing commitment to support the organizations that advance social justice. Disney has been working closely, for many years, with groups that advocate for and empower communities of color, including the NAACP, whose mission is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race. Disney has also provided millions of dollars in grants to provide funds to students from underrepresented groups to make the dream of attending college a reality. This includes $2.5 million to the United Negro College Fund.

When employees donate to eligible organizations, Disney will, through the Disney Employee Matching Gifts program, match the donations the workers make.

This past Tuesday night, the Walt Disney Co. aired a number of programs on several of its TV networks to encourage a discussion of racism and oppression in America. The programming included an ABC News prime-time special, America in Pain: What Comes Next?, that examined the protests and outrage across the country in response to the killing of Floyd. The special was preceded by the re-airing of two monumental and timely episodes of black-ish: “Hope,” which explores the issue of police brutality and flaws in the judicial system, and “Juneteenth,” which examines the lack of accurate representation of African Americans in our nation’s history.