The Walt Disney Company appears ready to drop “Diversity Equity and Inclusion” in favor of “belonging.” After a tumultuous upheaval at the House of Mouse following the last presidential election, in which controversial programs like “Reimagine Tomorrow” were purged from the entertainment juggernaut, Disney is retooling employee outreach next week with a program all about “belonging” rather than DEI.
Here’s the memo that went out earlier this week, picked up by Business Insider, for Disney’s “Global Belonging Week”:
Disneyland Pride Nite via Patrick Dougall YouTube
READ: Disney Boosts Annual Pass Renewal Discounts — Is It for the Fans or to Stave Off AP Cancellations?
“You’re Invited: Global Belonging Week
Details for Disney’s inaugural Global Belonging Week, October 20—24, 2025, are here! Join us for this employee-exclusive, virtual and in-person experience.Employees around the world are invited to join planned experiences focused on ways to increase your belonging and opportunities to thrive. We know that when employees feel a sense of belonging, they thrive, and so does the magic of Disney!
This voluntary week of events is designed to celebrate our rich culture, spark engagement, and empower each of us to do our best every day. Throughout the week, you’ll get:
Insight from keynote speakers designed to empower and inspire you.
Engaging learning experiences that foster a deeper understanding of the core value of inclusion and the power of belonging.
Opportunities to network and create meaningful connections with colleagues, as well as volunteer opportunities with Disney VoluntEARS.No registration required. Visit the page below to learn about each event and to save them to your calendars.
This is an employee-only event.
And here’s Disney’s “Global Belonging Week” itinerary:
Monday, October 20, 2025
Opening Keynote and Kickoff
1:00 PM — 2:00 PM PDT / 4:00 PM — 5:00 PM EDT
Arda Ocal: Host, ESPN
Jill Estorino: President & Managing Director, Disney Parks International
Rita Ferro: President, Global Disney Advertising
Joe Earley: President, Direct-to-Consumer, Disney Entertainment
Renato D’Angelo: General Manager Brazil & Head of Marketing Out-of-Home LATAM for The Walt Disney Company
Tinisha Agramonte: SVP and Chief Opportunity & Inclusion Officer, The Walt Disney Company
Sonia Coleman: Senior Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, The Walt Disney CompanyTuesday, October 21, 2025
Belonging and Thriving: Journeys from Humble Beginnings to First Generation Corporate Professionals
9:00 AM — 10:00 AM PDT / 12:00 PM — 1:00 PM EDT
Tinisha Agramonte: Moderator, SVP and Chief Opportunity & Inclusion Officer, The Walt Disney Company
Sonia Coleman: Senior Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, The Walt Disney Company
Robert Thompson: Chief Operating Officer, Partners Federal Credit UnionArt of Belonging: Moana
1:00 PM — 1:30 PM PDT / 4:00 PM — 4:30 PM EDTLivestream Details
Please return to this event page to view the live event.
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Telling Stories That Resonate: The Global Impact of Lilo & Stitch
9:00 AM — 10:00 AM PDT / 12:00 PM — 1:00 PM EDT
Anastasia Ali: Moderator, Vice President, Inclusive Marketing & Audience Growth, The Walt Disney Company
Maddie Woods: Director, Digital Marketing, The Walt Disney Studios
Megan Denman: Director, Production, The Walt Disney StudiosThursday, October 23, 2025
Cultivating a Culture of Belonging through Interpersonal Connections with Patrice Borders
9:00 AM — 10:00 AM PDT / 12:00 PM — 1:00 PM EDT
Livestream Details
Please return to this event page to view the live event.Art of Belonging: Encanto
1:00 PM — 1:30 PM PDT / 4:00 PM — 4:30 PM EDT
Livestream Details
Please return to this event page to view the live event.Friday, October 24, 2025
Global Belonging Week Closing
1:00 PM — 2:00 PM PDT / 4:00 PM — 5:00 PM EDT
Keynote Speaker
Juju Chang: Co-anchor, ABC News’ “Nightline”On Demand
Cross Cultural Connections: Where Belonging Begins
On Demand
Please return to this during Global Belonging Week to watch the video.Belong & Thrive: The Joy of Intersectionality, Allyship & Inclusion
On Demand
Please return to this page during Global Belonging Week to watch the video.”
The change in tone from Disney follows NBC terminating a huge portion of its diversity staff within the Comcast company.
In one of the most dramatic reorganizations in recent media news, NBC News cut roughly 150 employees—about 7% of its newsroom (NBC has countered, claiming it is only about 2%)—amid a broader corporate restructuring tied to Comcast’s impending spinout of its cable assets into a new entity called Versant.
Among the hardest hit were NBC’s diversity-oriented editorial verticals: dedicated teams that produced content under brands such as NBC BLK, NBC Asian America, NBC Latino, and NBC Out were largely dismantled. While NBC says the verticals will persist in concept, enabled by contributions from the broader newsroom, the distinct staff infrastructure and focus that underpinned those efforts are now gone.
Disney+ ‘This Is Me’ Pride Celebration Spectacular via Disney Plus YouTube
If it appears to you that a movement is underway, subtly in corporate America, to quietly move away from the DEI language of the last decade, you’re not wrong. Will it return with political winds should they shift again? It’s anyone’s guess about what C-Suites across the USA might deem as “belonging” other than the employees enjoying a new buzzword and movement.
Do you think Disney is actually ditching its DEI initiatives or simply rebranding them? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
