Stories shape how we see ourselves and everyone around us. So as storytellers, we have the power and responsibility to not only uplift and inspire, but also consciously, purposefully and relentlessly champion the spectrum of voices and perspectives in our world.
Stories Matter
Because happily ever after doesn't just happen. It takes effort.
Effort we are making.
As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, we are in the process of reviewing our library and adding advisories to content that includes negative depictions or mistreatment of people or cultures. Rather than removing this content, we see an opportunity to spark conversation and open dialogue on history that affects us all. We also want to acknowledge that some communities have been erased or forgotten altogether, and we're committed to giving voice to their stories as well.
We can't change the past, but we can acknowledge it, learn from it and move forward together to create a tomorrow that today can only dream of.
To that end, we've brought together a group of experts from outside our company to advise us as we assess our content and ensure it accurately represents our global audiences.
As we embrace each other's stories, we embrace possibility. And that's why we're committed to doing the best we can to represent communities authentically. So people not only see the best in themselves, but the world can see it too.
ADVISORY
Variations of the following advisory may appear on content, products, and platforms from The Walt Disney Company:
This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.
Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.
To learn more about how stories have impacted society, please visit
www.disney.com/StoriesMatter
BEYOND THE SCREEN
We are reviewing our offerings beyond the screen, which include products, books, music and experiences. While advisories for negative depictions of people and cultures may be added to some offerings, others will be reimagined. We are also investing in new ways to better reflect the rich diversity of stories in our world. This work is ongoing and will evolve as we strive toward a more inclusive tomorrow.
EXAMPLES OF CONTENT
RECEIVING ADVISORIES
Here are a few examples of titles receiving an advisory, along with an explanation of some of the negative depictions in each title:
Aristocats
The cat is depicted as a racist caricature of East Asian peoples with exaggerated stereotypical traits such as slanted eyes and buck teeth. He sings in poorly accented English voiced by a white actor and plays the piano with chopsticks. This portrayal reinforces the "perpetual foreigner" stereotype, while the film also features lyrics that mock the Chinese language and culture such as "Shanghai, Hong Kong, Egg Foo Young. Fortune cookie always wrong."
Dumbo
The crows and musical number pay homage to racist minstrel shows, where white performers with blackened faces and tattered clothing imitated and ridiculed enslaved Africans on Southern plantations. The leader of the group in Dumbo is Jim Crow, which shares the name of laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States. In "The Song of the Roustabouts," faceless Black workers toil away to offensive lyrics like "When we get our pay, we throw our money all away."
Peter Pan
The film portrays Native people in a stereotypical manner that reflects neither the diversity of Native peoples nor their authentic cultural traditions. It shows them speaking in an unintelligible language and repeatedly refers to them as "redskins," an offensive term. Peter and the Lost Boys engage in dancing, wearing headdresses and other exaggerated tropes, a form of mockery and appropriation of Native peoples' culture and imagery.
Swiss Family Robinson
The pirates who antagonize the Robinson family are portrayed as a stereotypical foreign menace. Many appear in "yellow face" or "brown face" and are costumed in an exaggerated and inaccurate manner with top knot hairstyles, queues, robes and overdone facial make-up and jewelry, reinforcing their barbarism and "otherness." They speak in an indecipherable language, presenting a singular and racist representation of Asian and Middle Eastern peoples.
Our Advisory Council
This third-party council is composed of leading organizations who advocate for the communities they represent and are at the forefront of driving narrative change in media and entertainment. They are supporting our efforts to increase our cultural competency by providing ongoing guidance and thought leadership on critical issues and shifting perceptions.
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AAFCA
The AAFCA encourages diversity and inclusion within the film and TV industry with a particular emphasis on the Black experience. Through proactive programming, curated content and advocacy, the AAFCA supports empowering narratives of Black culture for the here and now and for future generations. 
CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment)
CAPE champions diversity by educating, connecting and empowering Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in entertainment and media. Through their CAPE New Writers Fellowship, CAPE Leaders Fellowship and #GoldOpen movement, they are creating change from the writers’ room to the boardroom to the living room.
Define American
Define American uses media and the power of storytelling to shift the conversation about immigrants, identity and citizenship in a changing America. Through television consulting, original content development, advocacy campaigns and events, they humanize the conversation on immigration.
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
Founded in 2004 by Academy Award-Winning actor Geena Davis, the institute is the only research-based organization working collaboratively within the entertainment industry to create gender balance, foster inclusion and reduce negative stereotyping in family entertainment media. If They Can See It, They Can Be It.
GLAAD Media Institute
GLAAD is a dynamic media force rewriting the script for LGBTQ acceptance, provoking dialogue that supports cultural and narrative change to create a world where everyone can live the life they love.
Hollywood, Health & Society
Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S) is a program of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center that informs and inspires accurate storylines on topics including health and medicine, social justice, climate change and national security. HH&S’s scientific research sheds light on the critical influence of false and limiting narratives.
IllumiNative
IllumiNative increases the visibility of Native Nations and peoples in American society and challenges existing negative narratives. Through advocacy and illumination of Native voices and stories, the organization seeks to impact policy and end continued discrimination and disparities faced by Native communities.
NALIP
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers stands as the premier Latinx media organization, addressing the largest ethnic minority community in the country. NALIP’s mission is to discover, promote and inspire Latinx content creators.
RespectAbility
RespectAbility fights stigmas and advances opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. By engaging decision makers and creative executives in the entertainment industry and news media, RespectAbility improves the number and quality of authentic and diverse representations of people with disabilities in TV and film.
The Science & Entertainment Exchange
The Science & Entertainment Exchange is a creative outreach program of the National Academy of Sciences that connects entertainment industry professionals with top scientists to inspire engaging science-based storylines and positive portrayals of scientists in film and television. Through its many partnerships, The Exchange supports authentic, credible and powerful messages about science as a way to influence audience perceptions and increase public understanding of science.
Tanenbaum
Tanenbaum is a global leader and champion of faith-based inclusion. Their work centers on systematically dismantling religious prejudice, hatred and violence while promoting justice and respect for people of all religious beliefs.