Please help me put pressure on Disney executives to get the racist Jungle Cruise ride shut down at Disneyland. I urge everyone to boycott Disneyland and all Disney products until this ride is SHUT DOWN.

Last week I took my son to Disneyland for Spring Break. I hadn't been there for several years and had never been on the Jungle Cruise ride. We waited in a 45 minute line and were relieved to sit down in shaded boat. The start of the ride was nice enough with some animals growling at us from the land on the sides of the boat. The first thing that raised my eyebrows a bit was a gorilla holding a gun pointed at us. I thought it was a bit odd, especially in today's climate but thought that perhaps it was part of the thrill of the ride? I don't know. Then we turned the corner and we see a pole with a group of three Africans climbing up towards a terrified white man ("explorer") at the top of the pole. As if that wasn't bad enough we turned the next corner to find an African man in loin cloth offering us a head to eat as well as several other threatening images of Africans before we get to the end of the ride where the tour guide says, "We made it back to civilization!" As you exit the ride there are the words "Back to Civilization!" painted near the exit.

I am horrified and disgusted that Disneyland would ever support this imagery, but particularly in the present day. I knew Disneyland had a racist past however I am shocked to learn it continues to promote racist stereotypes such as these depicting Black people as savage, primitive, dangerous, uncivilized, and threatening. It is imagery like this that continues to enter into the minds of conscious racists and seemingly well intentioned people as unconscious biases. This racism and these biases continue to justify the murders of Black men and women in the minds of police and citizens alike, as well as the acquittals of these same people by jurors who assume the false self defense narrative is necessary and justified when dealing with such "dangerous and threatening" Black people. I am absolutely horrified and Disneyland should be too.

I also wonder whether Disneyland has considered what imagery like this does to the self esteem of Black children? I was there with my six year old bi-racial son and his  friend who also happens to be Black. Don't you think this sort of imagery would affect the self esteem of Black children to make them think they are uncivilized and unworthy? Does Disneyland support this? It seems that it does.

This is absolutely horrifying and we must get this ride SHUT DOWN. Please sign and share widely until Disneyland listens!!