Walt Disney is one of the most influential people of our time. He didn’t just create an entertainment company. Disney has become one of the most powerful companies in the world. Their unparalleled customer service, paired with top-tier storytelling, has made them the standard in many industries. However, many have accused the legendary animator of being racist. Is this true, or is this a label people try to put on the Mickey Mouse creator?
Was Walt Disney Actually A Racist?
Many of these accusations come from the early films made by Walt Disney and his team. In Dumbo, the black crows (one of them being named Jim) carry many stereotypes of the day. In Fantasia, the segment set in Beethonven’s 6th symphony has black centaurs as servants to white ones. Song of the South is a movie that is so offensive that the company refuses to release it in any form, even with a warning in front of it.
The accusations go beyond the choices Walt Disney made in his films. Neal Gabler is the author of Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination, one of the most thorough biographies out there. He cites a meeting where the animator called the seven dwarves a “[n-word] pile” and often used the term “pickaninny.” The NAACP begged him not to release the Song of the South and talk about possible changes. Disney decided to go ahead with the release.
Walt Disney: A Product Of His Time
Abigail Disney, the great-niece of Walt Disney, notes that her great-uncle was a product of his time. However, that isn’t an excuse for his behavior.
“Well, yeah, that’s what it is — and it isn’t,” she replied. “They were men of their time, but that’s not an excuse … they knew.”
She continued on, saying, “They weren’t shy about delving into the stereotypes if it served them.” She is correct. Even if Disney was on par with the attitudes of the times, it isn’t an excuse for the decisions made. The facts say that Walt Disney was a racist. We can admit this while also celebrating the impact he had on so many people.
More Layers To This Than Just Racism
For most people, racism is the least of their gripes. The one people tend to fixate on is whether Walt Disney was an anti-semite. The famous Three Little Pigs cartoon portrays the Big Bad Wolf as a Jewish peddler. In 1938, he invited he personally welcomed Nazi director Leni Riefenstahl to his studios. Interestingly enough, the Jewish people who worked for him didn’t complain, but Gabler recognizes that these accusations come from Disney, “willingly, even enthusiastically, embraced [anti-Semites] and cast his fate with them.”
Disney was a fascinating figure but was a figure of his time. It is important to recognize these were the attitudes he had while also realizing how far the company has come. They have main characters that are people of color and have broken barriers in the animated film world. We can celebrate the man while also recognizing he had his flaws. Walt Disney was a racist but created a company that now is on the forefront of breaking down barriers.
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