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Disney is reducing content warnings that caution viewers about racial stereotypes on some of its classic films, including “Dumbo” and “Peter Pan,” as part of a wider revamp of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs as it adjusts to the new Trump era.
The DEI changes, outlined in an email to staff on Tuesday, come as a growing number of U.S. companies and brands have rolled back similar initiatives following the Trump administration’s crackdown on DEI in the early weeks of his second term.
The content disclaimer – introduced in 2020 after consulting with groups including the African American Film Critics Association and the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment – will no longer automatically play on older titles on Disney’s streaming service, Disney Plus.
The current content advisory warns that the film includes “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.” It adds, “These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now.”
In “Peter Pan,” Native Americans are referred to by a racist slur, and in “Dumbo,” a group of crows is caricatured using racist Black stereotypes. One of the birds is named Jim Crow, the same name as the set of laws that enforced segregation.
A shortened version of the warning will appear in the details section. The advisory changes were first reported by Axios.
In an internal email Tuesday, viewed by The Washington Post, company leaders were informed that “Talent Strategy” would factor into executive compensation in place of a “Diversity and Inclusion” measure.
According to the company, the new performance metric is intended to assess how leaders uphold company values, use different perspectives to drive business success and cultivate an environment for employees to thrive, among other measures.
“What won’t change is our commitment to fostering a company culture where everyone belongs and everyone can excel, enabling us to deliver the globally appealing entertainment that drives our business,” wrote Sonia Coleman, Disney’s chief human resources officer.
Disney has long prided itself on offering a brand of inclusive, apolitical entertainment. But increasing social polarization has made that stance more difficult to maintain in recent years.
In Florida, Disney became a target of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s “war against woke” after the company criticized education legislation the Republican governor had promoted to block teachers from discussing gender and sexual orientation in early grades.
Bob Iger, who returned as chief executive in 2022, has attempted to restore the company to its traditional roots in a bid to win back viewers, particularly Republicans.
In December, Pixar, a division of Walt Disney Studios, said it was removing a transgender storyline from its upcoming animated series “Win or Lose.” The same month, Disney paid $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit that Donald Trump brought against the ABC News network and anchor George Stephanopoulos.