Disney reduces DEI programs 'Reimagine Tomorrow,' 'The Disney Look' amid backlash: SEC filing

Disney dropped two of its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in its latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and investors have been pushing the company to scale back its DEI even further.

According to Fox Business, Disney got rid of its "Reimagine Tomorrow" program, which was previously included in the DEI section of its 2023 10-K report to the SEC. In the 2024 filing the program is not present, although the company still has a section dedicated to DEI objectives to "build and sustain teams that reflect the life experiences of our audiences."

In addition, the company dropped "The Disney Look" from the filing. The aforementioned program is appearance guidelines that were previously in the DEI section of the SEC filing. The company said the guidelines were changed to "cultivate a more inclusive environment that encourages and celebrates authentic expressions of belonging among employees."

The "Reimagine Tomorrow" webpage, which was active at the time of this report, states that the program's mission is "amplifying underrepresented voices and untold stories as well as championing the importance of accurate representation in media and entertainment."

As of 2021, the page listed the breakdown of different racial as well as gender groups in their workforce. At the time, the webpage said, "The Walt Disney Company Has Established Business Employee Resource Groups Across 10 Dimensions: Asian/ Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander, Black/ African American Disabilities Hispanic/ Latin X Jewish, LGBTQ+, Multicultural, Native American/ Indigenous Veterans/ Military, Women," according to the outlet

The program was brought to the national forefront when the group hosted an "all hands" event and a Disney executive talked about her "not at all secret gay agenda" at the company. Video of the executive was leaked, causing massive backlash against Disney at the time.

"Disney dropping [Reimagine Tomorrow] from their DEI section could mean they're walking back their DEI investments, or it could signal they're hiding them," director of the Free Enterprise Project for the National Center for Public Policy Research, Stefan Padfield, told reporters. "Either they recognize that more litigation is coming, or it could be part of a vibe shift."

The scaling back of DEI at Disney comes as many other Fortune 500 companies are slashing DEI programs at their place of work. Amazon, Meta, and Walmart are just a few of the massive companies that have taken steps to scale back or completely stop DEI initiatives at their companies in the last few months as President Donald Trump has taken office.