The Walt Disney Company is revamping its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to better align with business outcomes, according to a report by Axios on Tuesday. The move comes as corporations across the U.S. adjust to the policies of President Donald Trump’s second term, which has seen increased scrutiny of DEI programs in both the public and private sectors.
In a company-wide memo, Disney Chief Human Resources Officer Sonia Coleman announced that the company will replace its “Diversity & Inclusion” performance metric with a new “Talent Strategy” metric.
While the new approach will prioritize business success, it will still incorporate some elements of DEI. Additionally, Disney is discontinuing its “Reimagine Tomorrow” initiative, which focused on increasing “diverse representation” in the company’s media projects.
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The “Reimagine Tomorrow” initiative, launched in 2020, aimed to ensure that 50% of regular and recurring characters in Disney’s intellectual properties came from “underrepresented groups.” However, the program was notably absent from the DEI section of Disney’s 2024 SEC 10-K report, signaling a shift in priorities.
Disney CEO Bob Iger emphasized the company’s primary mission during the 2023 annual shareholders meeting, stating, “Our primary mission needs to be to entertain, and then through our entertainment to continue to have a positive impact on the world. I’m very serious about that. It should not be agenda-driven, it should be entertainment-driven.”
Disney is also revising how it handles content advisories for older titles on its streaming platform, Disney+. Warnings about “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or cultures” that previously auto-played before films like Dumbo and Peter Pan will now be moved to the details section of each title. The language will be shortened to: “This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions.”
The strategic shift appears to be resonating with some audiences. According to the Axios Harris 100 brand reputation poll, Disney’s reputation among Republican voters improved significantly in 2024 compared to 2023. The company also led North American box office revenue in 2024, thanks to family-friendly releases like Inside Out 2 and Moana 2.
Disney’s relationship with Republican voters had previously soured in 2022 after the company publicly criticized Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill, which restricted discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten through third grade classrooms.
The controversy led to a high-profile feud between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, culminating in the state’s takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which governs the area surrounding Disney World.
Disney ended a legal battle with Florida last year over the state’s actions against the company. The dispute stemmed from DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature replacing the Reedy Creek Improvement District with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, a move seen as retaliation for Disney’s opposition to the education bill.
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However, in June 2024, Disney and the new district reached a development agreement that includes Disney investing up to $17 billion over 15 years. The deal also includes commitments to local hiring programs and affordable housing projects. As part of the agreement, Disney dismissed its federal lawsuit alleging First Amendment violations, marking the end of a contentious chapter in the company’s relationship with Florida.
Disney’s DEI overhaul reflects a broader trend among major corporations adjusting to the political climate under Trump’s second term. Companies like Meta, Google, and John Deere have scaled back their DEI initiatives, while others, such as Apple and Costco, have maintained their programs.
Trump’s executive order to end DEI programs in the federal government and among its contractors has further pressured businesses to reevaluate their approaches.
As Disney moves forward with its revised DEI strategy, the company aims to balance its commitment to inclusivity with its core mission of entertainment.
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