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By Ewan Palmer
News Reporter
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Disney has reduced its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including removing references to a program for "underrepresented voices," in its latest Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing.
Newsweek has contacted Disney for comment via email.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump made removing DEI initiatives from federal programs one of his first executive orders upon returning to the White House on January 20. Disney has long been a target of Republican opposition to the so-called "woke agenda," most notably from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
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Stefan Padfield, director of the Free Enterprise Project for the National Center for Public Policy Research, told Fox News Digital that Disney may be realizing there is a "vibe shift" regarding DEI now that Trump is back in office.
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What to Know
Disney's 2024 SEC 10-K report no longer references its "Reimagine Tomorrow" program, an online space for "amplifying underrepresented voices" that highlighted some of the company's DEI commitments and actions.
A "Disney Look" appearance guideline, which the company had previously updated to cultivate an "inclusive environment that encourages and celebrates authentic expressions of belonging among employees," was also dropped from the latest report.
The initiatives mentioned in Disney's 2023 SEC filing included an incubator program to develop the "next-generation creative executives from underrepresented backgrounds." The 2023 report had also detailed development programs and fellowships for underrepresented talent and learning opportunities, which "spark dialogue among employees, leaders, Disney talent, and external experts."
The 2024 report retains the incubator program but makes no mention of the development programs or learning opportunities.
Disney did introduce a new initiative called "Heroes Work Here" to hire, train, and support U.S. military veterans under its DEI efforts. The latest filing also keeps a reference to more than 100 employee-led groups that "represent and support the diverse communities" across Disney's global workforce.
The "Reimagine Tomorrow" online portal is still live at time of writing. However, according to Blog Mickey, which posts updates about Disney and its theme parks, the program has been "mostly silent" since last fall.
Disney continues to promote its DEI initiatives through the "Belong" section of its website.
In 2022, DeSantis stripped Disney of its special tax status in Florida, which the company had held for decades.
The move was widely seen as retaliation after Disney publicly opposed Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill. The law bans discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in certain grades at Florida schools.
Several other companies, including Walmart, Harley-Davidson and Lowe's, have announced that they are rolling back certain DEI initiatives in recent months.
What People Are Saying
Stefan Padfield, director of the Free Enterprise Project, told Fox News Digital: "Disney dropping [Reimagine Tomorrow] from their DEI section could mean they're walking back their DEI investments, or it could signal they're hiding them. Either they recognize that more litigation is coming, or it could be part of a vibe shift."
A Blog Mickey writer posted on February 8: "Of course, just because Disney is scaling back the number of DEI programs outlined in the investor report doesn't necessarily mean that Disney has dropped those programs. That said, Reimagine Tomorrow has been mostly silent since last fall."
President Donald Trump, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 23: "My administration has taken action to abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion nonsense—and these are policies that were absolute nonsense—throughout the government and the private sector."
What Happens Next
Several of Trump's executive orders to eliminate DEI programs are being challenged in court over claims that they are unconstitutional or infringe on free speech rights.
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