A new content warning for racism in a number of classic Disney films has been added to Disney+.

Films such as Peter Pan, The Aristocats, Lady and the Tramp and Jungle Book will now display a longer and stronger warning for racist content. 

The full statement says: “This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.

“These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.”

The statement also adds: “Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.”

Last November, Disney added a content advisory message which was much shorter.

The previous message read: “This program is presented as originally created.. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.”

Racism in past films

Some examples of racism include outdated stereotypes, offensively exaggerated accents and racial slurs. 

For example, Peter Pan refers to Native Americans by the racist slur “r*dsk*ns”. 

In The Aristocrats, cats appear in ‘yellow-face’ and play the piano with chopsticks. 

In Dumbo, a group of crows who teach Dumbo to fly, are portrayed with exaggerated ‘Black’ voices.

The lead crow is named Jim Crow, in reference to Jim Crow Laws which enforced racist segregation across the US. 

Disney’s most controversial film, Song of the South, perpetuates the racist myth that slaves were content in cotton fields.

The film was never released on DVD or digitally. It is not available to stream on Disney+ either.