Splash Mountain, a ride inspired by the film “Song of the South,” is a major attraction at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California.
“Song of the South” is a 1946 film considered by many to be the studio’s most racist, criticized for its stereotypes of black people and its apparent nostalgic view of the antebellum South. The film is best known for the song “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.”
Several petitions have popped up recently, CNN reports, calling for Disney to remove all mentions of the movie from the ride. While the ride’s storyline is not an exact depiction of the movie, it features characters including Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear.
Fans have even offered a solution to re-theme the ride. One fan took to Twitter to showcase his concept for the “Princess and the Frog” theme, and others created and signed a Change.org petition.
The call for change comes as many are confronting their own biases and potential racist histories. People are taking to the streets to protest for the Black Lives Matter movement, and many controversial statues and monuments are being torn down.
Disney has decided to keep the movie “Song of the South” in the vault, not releasing it on Disney+, due to the criticisms of racism, according to CNN.
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