According to Variety, The Walt Disney Company will be pledging $5 million, 0.004% of their net worth, to social justice groups. They have already donated $2 million to the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) which was founded by W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells in 1909 with the intention of achieving equality and justice for African Americans.
Disney’s CEO, Bob Capek, said in a statement to Variety that “The killing of George Floyd has forced our nation to once again confront the long history of injustice that black people in America have suffered…This $5 million pledge will continue to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations such as the NAACP.”
The company has also stated that they will continue to encourage donations towards these organizations through their Disney Employee Matching Gifts Program, which will match employee donations to eligible organizations such as the Minnesota Freedom Fund. In addition, The Walt Disney Company has made greater effort to showcase their support of the movement through their TV stations. On Tuesday night, the company aired an ABC News Special about the protests and riots across the country as well as the re-airing of two timely episodes of black-ish on ABC.
These donations are due to the sudden surge of protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement across America and even outside the country. Other major corporations have raised awareness for the movement as well, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Warner Bros. Studios.