Update: A Walt Disney Co. spokesperson sent a statement to Breitbart News after our initial story below ran on Saturday. The statement was identical to the one sent to Christopher Rufo. It reads as follows:
“These internal documents are being deliberately distorted as reflective of company policy, when in fact their purpose was to allow diversity of thought and discussion on the incredibly complex and challenging issues of race and discrimination that we as a society and companies nationwide are facing. The Disney brand has a long history of inclusivity, with stories that reflect acceptance and tolerance and celebrate people’s differences, as we have consistently demonstrated in such popular films as Moana, Coco, Black Panther, Soul and Raya and the Last Dragon, and as a global entertainment company we are committed to continuing to tell stories that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience.”
The Walt Disney Co. is reportedly promoting critical race theory to its employees, encouraging them to reject equality and strive for “equity,” which company literature defines as “equality of outcome.”
The Hollywood studio is also allegedly telling employees that qualities such as “timeliness” and “comprehensiveness” help to perpetuate “white supremacy culture.”
In an article published Friday in City Journal, Christopher F. Rufo said he has obtained whistleblower documents related to Disney’s “diversity and inclusion” program, called “Reimagine Tomorrow.” He said he spoke to multiple Disney employees who claim the program has become “deeply politicized and engulfed parts of the company in racial conflict.”
Rufo is a leading opponent of critical race theory, spearheading a legal effort to reject the divisive ideology by preventing it from being taught in public schools.
It remains unclear if Disney’s program is mandatory for employees. It’s also unclear how long the program has been in place.
The purported internal Disney document puts forth a series of training modules on “antiracism,” including one claiming the United States has “long history of systemic racism and transphobia.” It also said white employees must “work through feelings of guilt, shame, and defensiveness to understand what is beneath them and what needs to be healed.”
Another module, called “What Can I Do About Racism?,” tells employees that they should reject “equality” and instead strive for “equity,” with a focus on “the equality of outcome.” Employees are urged to “reflect” on America’s “racist infrastructure” and “think carefully about whether or not your wealth, income, treatment by the criminal justice system, employment, access to housing, health care, political power, and education might be different if you were of a different race.”
The document reportedly claims that certain values such as “competition,” “individualism,” “timeliness,” and “comprehensiveness” help to “perpetuate white supremacy culture.”
Rufo reported he also obtained an internal video in which Disney executive chairman Bob Iger pledged that the company “should be taking a stand” on political controversies and no longer “shy away from politics” in the future.
Disney spokeswoman Zenia Mucha didn’t reply to a request for comment from Breitbart News.
The revelation comes as Disney continues to remain silent about its collaboration with authorities in China’s western Xinjiang province during the making of the live-action movie Mulan. Authorities in Xinjiang have overseen concentration camps of ethnic minority Uyghurs and have reportedly presided over the systematic rape of minority women.
Disney isn’t the only Hollywood studio that has jumped on the CRT bandwagon. Netflix recently announced it has acquired a handful of titles by “antiracism” professor Ibram X. Kendi to be turned into programming for young viewers, including toddlers.
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.