The Walt Disney Company Addresses “Issues of Racial Disparity” in Statement

Responding to recent national events, The Walt Disney Company has released a statement that addresses the company’s response.

The Walt Disney Company

The statement comes from CEO Bob Chapek, Chairman Bob Iger, and Chief Diversity Officer Latondra Newton.

Earlier today, Bob Iger tweeted out the statement, noting that it was sent out to Disney employees and had been endorsed by himself and the team listed above.

Below is a link to a statement we sent to our fellow @Disney employees. It's from Bob Chapek, our CEO, Latondra Newton, our Chief Diversity Officer, and me.
Thank you.https://t.co/R6ucJhv26p

— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) May 31, 2020

In the statement, The Walt Disney Company references the recent events in Minneapolis, writing that:

“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.”

The statement continues with:

“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.”

Their statement concludes by addressing that the Walt Disney Company would like to continue with an open conversation, one that can ultimately lead to “real change”.

“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.”

You can read The Walt Disney Company’s statement in its entirety here.