Entertainment
Disney is ditching aspects of its diversity, equity and inclusion program, becoming the latest major company to scale back its DEI operation following President Donald Trump’s recent executive order terminating DEI in the federal workforce.
The entertainment giant quietly removed the “Reimagine Tomorrow” program from its DEI section in a SEC filing on Monday; the program’s website previously said it had a mission to amplify “underrepresented voices and untold stories as well as championing the importance of accurate representation in media and entertainment.”
Chief Human Resources Officer Sonia Coleman followed that news on Tuesday with an internal memo outlining Disney’s apparent shift away from DEI.
Moving forward, Disney will replace its “Diversity & Inclusion” performance evaluation metric with a new “Talent Strategy” factor that is more focused on how employees are driving business success.
“This new factor represents an evolution of important concepts in the former Diversity & Inclusion OPF (Other Performance Factors) and will be used alongside our other two OPFs, ‘Storytelling & Creativity’ and ‘Synergy,’” Coleman wrote in the memo obtained by TheWrap.
Axios, the first outlet to share the memo on Tuesday, reported Disney will be shutting down its “Reimagine Tomorrow” program and website.
Disney will also be updating the trigger warning it shows before viewers stream old movies such as “Dumbo” and “Peter Pan,” Axios reported.
The current warning that content “includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or cultures” will now read: “This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions.”
Coleman’s Tuesday memo also reiterated Disney’s plan to focus on four key pillars that will continue to make it a “welcoming, respectful, and inclusive” workplace; the plan was first shared in December.
Those pillars and their descriptions from Coleman are listed below:
- People: We reach and attract the best, most talented people around the world and foster barrier-free talent processes for everyone.
- Culture: We purposefully champion a culture where everyone belongs and can contribute to our business success.
- Market Reach: We create unforgettable stories, experiences, and products that entertain and resonate globally.
- Community: We learn from and support under-served communities by establishing and investing in impactful relationships with organizations and business stakeholders.
Disney’s changes reflect the current shift in the zeitgeist against DEI from a political, social and business perspective.
Last month, President Trump signed an executive order that “terminates ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ (DEI) discrimination in the federal workforce, and in federal contracting and spending.”
By canceling federal DEI programs, the order said it was “restoring the values of individual dignity, hard work and excellence … fundamental to American greatness.”
A number of major companies have canceled or trimmed their DEI programs in the wake of Trump’s executive order, including Meta, Google and Target. Also on Monday, PBS announced it was closing down its DEI office in order to comply with the president’s EO.
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Sean Burch