Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
In this exclusive interview, Oscar recipient Floyd Norman shares his remarkable journey from dreaming of Disney at five years old to becoming the first African American artist to work in Disney animation, and he directly confronts the enduring myth that Walt Disney was racist.
But why was Floyd handpicked over so many others to join Walt’s inner circle and help shape The Jungle Book? The answer finally came 35 years later, during a revealing conversation with Walt’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller.
00:00 Introduction
00:58 Early Life
05:15 Early Career at Disney
07:48 Sleeping Beauty
15:16 Ward Kimball
17:11 Dealing with Racism
20:08 How Walt Discovered Floyd
22:08 Diane Disney Miller Shares About her Dad
27:14 Floyd Defends Walt Against Racism Accusations
28:17 Working on the Jungle Book
32:12 Storyboarding: Dream Into It
36:11 Leaving Disney
38:06 Conclusion
For more information on addressing the issue of Who is Disney's First Black Animator, check out our video that answers the question: youtu.be/0-_DuSwMXvs
Support more interviews with animation legends:
Buy Me a Coffee: ko-fi.com/dizographies
#Disney #Disneyhistory #FloydNorman #animation #junglebook
In this exclusive interview, Oscar recipient Floyd Norman shares his remarkable journey from dreaming of Disney at five years old to becoming the first African American artist to work in Disney animation, and he directly confronts the enduring myth that Walt Disney was racist.
But why was Floyd handpicked over so many others to join Walt’s inner circle and help shape The Jungle Book? The answer finally came 35 years later, during a revealing conversation with Walt’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller.
00:00 Introduction
00:58 Early Life
05:15 Early Career at Disney
07:48 Sleeping Beauty
15:16 Ward Kimball
17:11 Dealing with Racism
20:08 How Walt Discovered Floyd
22:08 Diane Disney Miller Shares About her Dad
27:14 Floyd Defends Walt Against Racism Accusations
28:17 Working on the Jungle Book
32:12 Storyboarding: Dream Into It
36:11 Leaving Disney
38:06 Conclusion
For more information on addressing the issue of Who is Disney's First Black Animator, check out our video that answers the question: youtu.be/0-_DuSwMXvs
Support more interviews with animation legends:
Buy Me a Coffee: ko-fi.com/dizographies
#Disney #Disneyhistory #FloydNorman #animation #junglebook
