Source: Pixabay

Source: Pixabay
Source: Pixabay

Originally published June 1, 2020. Updated June 4 at 8:31 p.m. ET

The winds of change are blowing fiercely across America as millions rise up in solidarity against the systematic oppression faced by members of the black community. Following the death of George Floyd while being detained by police officers in Minneapolis, many individuals and organizations are making taking a very public stand that #BlackLivesMatter.

For those involved in the business of play, there is a responsibility to educate and support future generations, and the heels are digging in.

Below is a roundup of statements published online and on social media by toy and game companies, as well as some adjacent businesses including retailers and entertainment companies. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but rather an overview of the many words and actions of support.

Adventure Media & Events: Publishers of the Toy Book, the Toy Insider, and the Pop Insider

Source: The Toy Book


TOYMAKERS

Funko

LEGO

The LEGO Group, which curiously emailed affiliate marketers asking to pull back links for more than 30 sets representing police, fire, and more, announced on June 3 that it would donate $4 million to organizations “dedicated to supporting black children and educating all children about racial equality.”

Mattel

Mattel shared a unified message across its corporate platform and accounts for brands including Hot Wheels, Barbie, Masters of the Universe, and more.

MGA Entertainment

MGA Entertainment’s (MGAE) Bratz was one of the first to share words of support. The petition that Bratz encouraged followers to share has more than 10 million signatures as of this writing.

https://www.facebook.com/bratz/photos/a.127936813902113/3502227463139681/?type=3&theater

MGAE’s Little Tikes brand shared the following message and a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.

Moose Toys

https://www.facebook.com/MooseToys/photos/a.267228313423603/2227541054058976/?type=3&theater

Spin Master


ENTERTAINMENT COMPANIES

The Walt Disney Co.

The below message was posted to the official Disney account, as well as its subsidiaries, including the official Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel accounts. UPDATE: On June 3, Disney announced that it will donate $5 million to “support nonprofit organizations that advance social justice,” starting with a $2 million donation to the NAACP. The company is also matching any donations that its employees make.

HBO

The HBO and HBO Max Twitter accounts both posted the below message and changed their profile names to “#BlackLivesMatter.”

Warner Bros.

Funimation

Cartoon Network

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA3JRhUlekN/

ViacomCBS

This was the message posted from the official ViacomCBS account, as well as its subsidiaries, including the official Star Trek, Nickelodeon, and CBS accounts.

Nickelodeon

Additionally, Nickelodeon went off the air for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in honor of George Floyd and in support of “justice, equality, and human rights.”

https://twitter.com/Nickelodeon/status/1267561600464162821

NBCUniversal


VIDEO GAME COMPANIES

PlayStation

In addition to posting the below statement, PlayStation decided to postpone the virtual event it had scheduled for this Thursday, which would have showcased new games for the PlayStation 5 system. In a statement about postponing the event, the company wrote, “We do not feel that right now is a time for celebration and for now, we want to stand back and allow more important voices to be heard.”

Xbox

Square Enix

Square Enix, the studio behind the popular Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy games, is pledging $250,00 to support Black Lives Matter and will match employees’ donations to charities and organizations that combat racial injustice.

Nintendo of America

Nintendo posted the following statement on social media:


STREAMING SERVICES & TECH

Netflix

Hulu

Prime Video

Crunchyroll

TikTok

YouTube


RETAIL

“Another black man in America died senselessly on Monday, and it happened only miles from where many of us live. As cars and people passed by, unaware that a man was struggling to breathe as another’s knee was on his neck, our state and country witnessed yet another example of how the life of an African American man, woman, boy or girl is fundamentally different from their white friends, neighbors, and colleagues.

All this happened on the same day another black man, this time in New York City, was threatened by a white woman who said she would call the police on him when he requested she leash her dog, as required by city ordinance. She made that threat — and carried through on it — almost certainly knowing it would strike fear in the heart of any African American adult. She weaponized racism, and the whole world was able to watch…” from the Best Buy Corporate Blog.

Best Buy was the first major retailer to issue a message to the public following the murder of George Floyd. The statement, signed by Best Buy’s senior leadership team, was straightforward and to the point: racism has to end. Target followed suit, as did Walmart.

Build-A-Bear Workshop:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA_D8sgj2k5/

Hot Topic

On Instagram, Hot Topic pledged to donate $50,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and take additional steps to support the Black Lives Matter movement.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA3reHBnkbe/

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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