Floyd Norman's depiciton of the scene
Veteran Disney animator Floyd Norman recounts the (very tangential) connection between Disney Studios and the 1965 Watts Riots in an article at Jim Hill Media. Floyd was named a Disney “Living Legend” a while back. He was also the first African-American animator at Disney; he has worked for the Mouse (as well as Hanna-Barbera, Pixar and other studios) since the 1950s, when he was hired as an in-betweener on “Sleeping Beauty” before being moved into the story department for “The Jungle Book.”
If your child loves animation and is learning about the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s, Floyd’s columns might provide some interesting reading. Floyd also has a blog, called “Mr. Fun,” where he posts cartoons and comments on current doings in animation.
