Disney Will Donate $5 Million To Organizations Working To "Ensure Equality & Justice"

Amid protests around the country calling for justice and standing up against racism, Disney has pledged to donate $5 million to support organizations working to promote social justice.

In the wake of the death of George Floyd — a 46-year-old unarmed Black man who died in police custody after a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes — Disney announced on Wednesday that it is donating $2 million to the NAACP to aid in the organization's longstanding work fighting racial discrimination.

"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, and it it is critical we stand together, speak out, and do everything in our power to ensure that acts of racism and violence are never tolerated," Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement. "This $5 million pledge will continue to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations such as the NAACP that have worked tirelessly to ensure equality and justice."

The NAACP is the United States' oldest civil rights organization, playing a pivotal role in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, successfully challenging discrimination in housing and employment. Lawyers for the NAACP's Legal Defense and Educational Fund won the Supreme Court's ruling for Brown vs. Board of Education, which outlawed segregation in public schools. Work done by the NAACP has led to the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act.

Disney has not yet specified where the other $3 million will be donated, though the company noted the donation to the NAACP was the "beginning." Disney also said it will match donations made by employees who donate to eligible organizations.

Before news of Disney's donation, the company voiced its support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement on Twitter earlier this week. "We stand for inclusion. We stand with our fellow Black employees, storytellers, creators, and the entire Black community." Disney also uploaded a commercial video about the importance of speaking up for others on the Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD YouTube channels called "Speaking Up Because Black Lives Matter."

While Disney's donation will certainly go a long way, there are many organizations fighting for racial justice right now you can also help support.