Over 20,000 People Sign Petition for Disney Parks to Stop Casting White People in POC Roles

The petition, titled “Make sure Disney stops casting white people for roles that require real people of color,” is asking the company to give the roles to minorities or those who belong to the ethnic background of the particular character, Inside the Magic reported.

“Disney claims to care about people of color, but they continue to cast white men and women in fake spray tans for these particular roles,” the petition reads. “Important characters such as; Jasmine, Pocahontas, Moana, Black Panther, Li Shang, and Aladdin, within the Disney entertainment arenas around the world, need to be played by the people of color they were brought to life by.”

Fans reportedly believe that casting people of color for Disney characters, such as Aladdin, Pocahontas, Jasmine and Mulan, to name a few, would not only make it more authentic but also morally right.

“It’s extremely disrespectful to the community of color and it needs to stop,” the petition continued. “Young kids come to the parks looking forward to meeting these characters, aka their personal heroes, and are instead, sadly greeted by white men and women in cheap spray tans.”

It also noted that the company has the financial capabilities of hiring people of color for the roles as well as a list of beautiful actors to choose from.

Since the launch of the massive company’s own streaming services, Disney Plus, back in November last year, it has attempted to move from “outdated cultural depictions.” But fans want more diversity in the parks as well.

As of this writing, the Change.org petition has garnered more than 20,000 signatures and counting out of the 25,000 needed.

Feature Image via Kon Karampelas on Unsplash