The murder of George Floyd, a Black American man, by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020, sparked large-scale protests against systemic racism, both in the United States and elsewhere. As a result of the protests, numerous controversial forms of symbolism were either changed or removed.
In the United States, changes focused on removing and prohibiting displays of the Confederate battle flag; the flag of Mississippi was changed to remove a Confederate battle insignia.[1][2] Around the world, numerous name changes occurred in response to the protests, while in Canada, the U.S. and New Zealand several police reforms were enacted, primarily in relation to the policing of ethnic minority communities.[3][4]
Several sports teams that used mascots featuring Native Americans, both inside and outside the United States, announced plans to change them; the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations voted to shorten its name to the 'State of Rhode Island'.
In the film and television industry, numerous casting changes occurred in relation to white voice actors for non-white characters, while several films and television shows were edited, rewritten, canceled, or pulled from streaming services as a result of the protests. The video game industry also got into the numerous casting changes.
Key:
Employer | Reported | Details | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States Army | To "improve diversity, equity, and inclusion", the Army announced that it would remove "photos from officer promotion boards beginning August 2020". | [5] [6] [7] |
For broader coverage of this topic, see Modern display of the Confederate battle flag. |
Old | New | Represents | Reported | Executed | Details | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Flag of Mississippi | Jun 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | The Mississippi Legislature passed a bill to relinquish the state flag, remove it from public premises within 15 days of the bill's effective date, and redesign it via commission, with the new design omitting the Confederate battle flag and including the phrase "In God We Trust". Republican Governor Tate Reeves had stated that he was against the Legislature changing the flag, but that if the Legislature were to pass such a bill he would sign it. Reeves signed the bill on June 30, 2020.
Mississippi was the last U.S. state to incorporate the Confederate battle flag in its state flag; a poll had concluded that most Mississippians supported the removal of this element from the state flag. Voters approved a new design in a referendum on November 3, 2020. It became the official state flag on January 11, 2021. |
[8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [2] |
Organization | Announced | Details | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States Marine Corps | Jun 5, 2020 | The U.S. Marines officially banned the Confederate battle flag from both public and work spaces on its military bases, including its display on vehicle bumper stickers, clothing, and coffee mugs. | [15] [16] | |
United States Navy | Jun 9, 2020 | Admiral Michael M. Gilday directed his staff to begin crafting an order banning the Confederate battle flag from "all public spaces and work areas aboard Navy installations, ships, aircraft and submarines." | [17] [18] | |
NASCAR | Jun 10, 2020 | Display of the Confederate battle flag was prohibited at all NASCAR events and properties. | [19] | |
Cork GAA | Jun 12, 2020 | Fans of the Gaelic Athletic Associated Cork team use the Confederate battle flag due to County Cork's nickname, "the Rebel county". The team announced the prohibition of the flag. | [20] | |
United States Forces Korea | Jun 15, 2020 | U.S. Forces Korea banned display of the Confederate battle flag and depictions of it on USFK installations, except for artistic and educational displays. | [21] | |
U.S. military installations | Jul 17, 2020 | U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper effectively banned display of Confederate flags on military installations with a memo listing flags authorized for display that leaves out Confederate flags. | [22] | |
United States Coast Guard | Jul 18, 2020 | Confederate flag specifically prohibited by Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz. | [23] |
Flag | Location | City | State | Announced | Removed | Details | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Confederate battle flag | Confederate Memorial Park | Seffner | Florida | Jun 1, 2020 | Jun 1, 2020 | A 60-by-30-foot (18.3 m × 9.1 m) Confederate flag at the intersection of I-4 and I-75, just east of Tampa, was temporarily removed by its owner, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, after threats to burn it were made on social media. | [24] |
Confederate battle flag | Memorial Park | Kennesaw | Georgia | Jun 15, 2020 | Jun 16, 2020 | The city decided that it will no longer fly the Confederate battle flag in downtown Kennesaw's Memorial Park on Main Street. Flag was cut down prior to protests and city council members agreed not to replace it, despite violating state law to do so. On June 16, it was replaced with an older version of the Georgia state flag. | [25] [26] |
Mississippi state flag | City-owned buildings | Gulfport | Mississippi | Jun 16, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | City is removing all Mississippi state flags from city-owned buildings. | [27] |
Mississippi state flag | City-wide | Bay St. Louis | Mississippi | Jun 16, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | City council decided to stop flying the state flag. | [28] |
Flag of the Black Country | West Midlands Fire Service fire stations | West Midlands | England | Jul 16, 2020 | — | The Black Country's flag was designed by Gracie Shepherd, an 11-year-old schoolgirl, in 2012. It includes a chain motif representing "the chain industry in the region, as well as the linking up of the different communities". The flag has been controversial as chains made in the region were used on slaves in the Caribbean and North America. The fire service sent a letter to all staff on July 16 banning use of the flag; it reversed its decision on July 24. | [29] [30] [31] [32] |
Confederate battle flag | Grand Ledge Public Schools | Grand Ledge | Michigan | Jul 20, 2020 | Jul 20, 2020 | School Board prohibited "racially divisive messaging, images, or symbols", specifically mentioning the Confederate flag. | [33] |
Flag of Norway Flag of the United States |
The Nordic Pineapple (bed and breakfast) |
St. Johns | Michigan | Jul 20, 2020 | Jul 20, 2020 | Since opening the business in 2018, the owners had flown a Norwegian flag alongside an American flag at the entrance because the grandfather of one of the owners was born in Norway. The Norwegian flag has the same colors as the Confederate battle flag, and was occasionally mistaken for it, despite its different design, which lacks stars. In the past, they had explained the nature of the flag to anyone who expressed concerns. But after receiving "at least a dozen hateful emails" in the summer of 2020, they decided to stop displaying any flags.[34] They soon restored the American flag and later replaced the Norwegian flag with a triangular Norwegian vimpel pennant in the flag's colors.[35] | [36] [37] [38] |
Confederate battle flag | Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries | Oregon | Oct 23, 2020 | The Oregon Historic Preservation Office commission on historic cemeteries officially adopted a position paper recommending that Confederate Flags not be displayed at historic cemeteries. | [39] |
Old | New | Emblem | Reported | Details | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coat of arms of Imperial College London | Jun 5, 2020 | Imperial College London decided to remove its motto from the official rendition of its coat of arms in order to "better reflect the College's culture, values and commitment to support a diverse and inclusive community." The motto read Scientia imperii decus et tutamen, which translates to "Scientific knowledge, the crowning glory and the safeguard of the empire". | [40] | ||
Ventura County, California, seal | Jun 22, 2020 | Seal was redesigned to remove Junípero Serra. | [41] | ||
Insignia of the Order of St Michael and St George (Personal use by the Governor-General of Jamaica) |
Jun 26, 2020 | Patrick Allen, the Governor-General of Jamaica, declared that he was suspending his usage of the insignia due to ongoing protests against images that "normalize the continued degradation of people of color." The insignia depicts a white Archangel Michael standing over a dark-skinned Satan. | [42] [43] | ||
Placerville, California, seal | Jul 14, 2020 | The city has had the nickname "Hangtown" since the 1850s. The city first considered removing a noose from its city seal because of its associations with lynching. The city council voted unanimously to remove the image on April 14, 2021. | [44] [45] |
Notable proposed changes:
See also: List of name changes due to the George Floyd protests § Museums |
See also: List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests |
Name | Location | Reported | Details | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Penn Museum | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | United States | Jul 8, 2020 | The museum removed the Morton Cranial Collection from public view; the collection includes the skulls of enslaved individuals. Samuel George Morton, a popular physician, was a founder of scientific racism, and used his collection to "prove" the alleged inferiority of what he called "the African race". | [48] | |
John Wayne exhibit, University of Southern California | Los Angeles | California | United States | Jul 10, 2020 | John Wayne attended the University of Southern California; white supremacist remarks of his have recently surfaced. The display will be moved to the Cinematic Arts Library. | [49] | |
Tate Britain | London | England | United Kingdom | Aug 4, 2020 | Tate Britain's Rex Whistler Restaurant featured a large mural by Rex Whistler entitled The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats (1927). One of its scenes depicts the enslavement of a black child and his mother's distress; another shows him running behind a horse and cart to which he is attached by a chain around his neck. The room was closed and will only reopen (as an exhibition space) when "interpretive material" to put the work's offensive nature into its wider historical context is incorporated. | [50] [51] |
Main article: List of police reforms related to the George Floyd protests |
Main articles: Native American mascot controversy and List of ethnic sports team and mascot names |
School | Old | New | Location | US state | Reported | Executed | Details | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Richland High School | Rebel | Royals | North Richland Hills | Texas | Jun 19, 2020 | Sep 25, 2020 | School board voted to change the Rebel mascot and associated imagery. Change.org petition to "Abolish Confederate Branding at Richland High School" had amassed over 26,000 signatures. Some changes in the campus area are to be executed immediately. | [52] [53] |
Quartz Hill High School | Rebel | Royals | Quartz Hill | California | Jun 20, 2020 | Jun 20, 2020 | Antelope Valley Union High School District administrators made the announcement to remove both the Rebel mascot and name, effective immediately. Change.org petition to remove the mascot had amassed over 5,000 signatures. | [54] |
A. B. Miller High School | Rebel | TBD | Fontana | California | Jun 24, 2020 | School administration decided to remove the mascot and halt usage of the phrase "Rebel Nation", effective immediately. | [55] | |
Brighton Central School District | Baron | Bruins | Brighton | New York | Jun 24, 2020 | Dec 23, 2020 | Superintendent stated that "[t]he Baron is a symbol of elitism and privilege at best and can be historically traced to slavery", and announced that the search for a new mascot would begin. | [56] [57] |
Serra High School | Conquistadors | Rattlers | San Diego | California | Jun 25, 2020 | Mar 9, 2021 | Answering a petition started in June by sisters who were students of the high school, the San Diego Unified School Board renamed the school, as well as the mascot, from the Serra Conquistadors to Canyon Hills Rattlesnakes. | [58] [59] |
Loudoun County High School | Raiders | Captains | Leesburg | Virginia | Jun 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | The school board voted unanimously to retire the mascot, which was based on the Confederate Mosby's Raiders. | [60] |
Martin High School | Indian hairdress logo and associated decor | Rockin' M. logo and Warriors | Arlington | Texas | Jul 1, 2020 | Jul 1, 2020 | [61] | |
Shady Side Academy | Indians | Bulldogs | Fox Chapel | Pennsylvania | Jul 1, 2020 | Dec 21, 2020 | The board of trustees voted unanimously to retire the school's mascot and team name. Academy President Bart Griffith announced there would be a process to select a new mascot in the months to come. | [62] [63] |
Anderson High School | Redskins | Raptors | Hamilton County | Ohio | Jul 2, 2020 | Mar 5, 2021 | The board of the Forest Hills Local School District voted 4–1 to retire the Redskins name. | [64] [65] |
Nashoba Regional High School | Chieftains | Wolves | Bolton | Massachusetts | Jul 4, 2020 | Apr 12, 2021 | The Nashoba Regional School Committee voted unanimously to retire the mascot and remove any Native American iconography from the high school. | [66] [67] |
Parkwood High School | Rebels | Wolf Pack | Monroe | North Carolina | Jul 7, 2020 | Nov 5, 2020 | Union County Schools Board of Education voted 6–2 to change the name and mascot. An image of a Confederate soldier had been removed from the school logo earlier after the NAACP called for its change in 2009. | [68] [69] [70] |
Capital University | Crusaders | Comets | Bexley | Ohio | Jul 13, 2020 | Sep 30, 2021 | The board of trustees approved a measure to retire the Crusaders nickname and the mascot Cappy. The name and mascot will continue to be used until an official retirement. | [71] [72] |
Juanita High School | Rebels | Ravens | Kirkland | Washington | Jul 13, 2020 | Dec 3, 2020 | Lake Washington School District Superintendent Jon Holeman announced that the school's Rebels mascot would be removed immediately. | [73] [74] |
Caledonia High School | Confederates | Cavaliers | Caledonia | Mississippi | Jul 17, 2020 | Nov 16, 2020 | The Lowndes County School Board voted to retire the nickname. | [75] [76] |
Roncalli High School | Rebels | Royals | Indianapolis | Indiana | Jul 22, 2020 | Jan 15, 2021 | The school's interim president announced that the Rebels nickname would be retired due to "negative connotations" and that a task force would select a new mascot and nickname. | [77] [78] |
Henderson High School | Indian logo | — | West Chester | Pennsylvania | Sep 18, 2020 | "Echoing the broader national movement", the school's principal announced that it would be disassociating its athletic department from Native American imagery. | [79] | |
Wilson Area School District | Indian hairdress logo and associated decor | Scripted "W" logo | Northampton County | Pennsylvania | Jul 26, 2021 | Jul 26, 2021 | "Amid escalating demands for racial justice, particularly following the murder of George Floyd," the school district announced that while it will still be using the Warriors mascot, it will no longer be purchasing uniforms or merchandise associated with the feathered headdress imagery that had been previously used. | [80] |
Old | New | Role | Reported | Replaced | Details | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alexis Ohanian | Michael Seibel | Board member of Reddit | Co-founder Ohanian announced that he was leaving the board, stating that he did so "as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: 'What did you do?'", and asking the board to "fill [his] seat with a black candidate". | [81] [82] [83] |
Series | Canceled | Details | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cops | Jun 9, 2020 | In June 2020, Paramount Network pulled the program from its schedule in response to national protests against Floyd's murder and announced its cancellation days later. The program remains in production for its international and overseas partners, and began to film anew in Spokane County, Washington with its sheriff's department at the start of October 2020. In September 2021, it was announced that Fox Nation picked up the show. The 33rd season premiered on October 1, 2021. | [84] [85] [86] [87] [88] | |
Live PD Live PD: Police Nation Live PD Presents: PD Cam |
Jun 10, 2020 | Live PD aired its last episode on May 23, 2020. The show had removed video footage of the killing of Javier Ambler, which took place in March 2019. Other shows in the Live PD franchise were also cancelled. Because A&E sometimes relied on shows from the Live PD franchise for over 85% of its programming, the network's viewership has plummeted to about half of what it was compared to the previous year. The show's producers then moved to Reelz, where they launched a similar show, On Patrol: Live with most of the previous on-air personnel and cooperating departments in July 2022, and itself is part of an infringement lawsuit with A&E's parent, A&E Networks. | [87] [89] |
Old | New | Series | Role(s) | Reported | Details | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jenny Slate | Ayo Edebiri | Big Mouth | Missy Foreman-Greenwald | Jun 24, 2020 | Slate, a white and Jewish actress, announced that she would no longer play the half-black character Missy Forman-Greenwald. The role went to Ayo Edebiri starting with the Season 4 episode, "Sorority House", with Edebiri first voicing Missy's "Mirror Self" in the same episode. Slate continued to perform in the series voicing Caitlin Grafton and other characters. | [90] [91] | ||
David Herman (Marshmallow) Katie Crown (Harley) Melissa Bardin Galsky (Ms. Jacobson) Pamela Adlon (Olsen Benner) |
Jari Jones (Marshmallow) Ashley Nicole Black (Harley, Ms. Jacobson) Nicole Byer (Olsen Benner) |
Bob's Burgers | Marshmallow Harley Ms. Jacobson Olsen Benner |
Jun 24, 2020 | Series creator Loren Bouchard announced on Twitter that David Herman will no longer play the black transgender sex worker Marshmallow in the future after replying to a tweet about recasting Marshmallow with "Yes. On it". Jari Jones has since taken over the role of Marshmallow. Bouchard also announced on Twitter that Katie Crown will no longer play the black student Harley in the future as well. Crown and Melissa Bardin Galsky had their respective roles of Harley and Ms. Jacobson recast to Ashley Nicole Black. Starting in The Bob's Burgers Movie, Pamela Adlon's role of Olsen Benner was recast to Nicole Byer. | [92] [93] [94] [95] [96] [97] | ||
Kristen Bell | Emmy Raver-Lampman | Central Park | Molly Tillerman | Jun 24, 2020[a] | The series' producers announced that a biracial or black actress would play the biracial Molly in the future. Bell wrote, "This is a time to acknowledge our acts of complicity ... Casting a mixed race character w[ith] a white actress undermines the specificity of the mixed race & Black American experience." Bell would then later voice a new character, Abby Hunter starting with the Season 3 episode, "Paige's Next Chapter". | [98] [99] [100] [101] | ||
Mike Henry (Cleveland Brown, Rallo Tubbs, Consuela) Alex Borstein (Tricia Takanawa) |
Arif Zahir (Cleveland Brown) TBA (Rallo Tubbs) TBA (Consuela) TBA (Tricia Takanawa) |
Family Guy | Cleveland Brown Rallo Tubbs Consuela Tricia Takanawa |
Jun 26, 2020[b] | After voicing Cleveland for twenty-one years on both Family Guy and its spin-off series, The Cleveland Show from 2009 to 2013, Mike Henry announced his departure on social media when he posted a statement saying; "I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role." Arif Zahir began his role as Cleveland in season 20. Henry continues to work and perform on the series after stepping down from voicing Cleveland as Bruce Straight and John Herbert. Other characters such as Asian Reporter Tricia Takanawa, Hispanic House Maid Consuela, and Cleveland's stepson, Rallo Tubbs are expected to be recast in the future. | [102] [103] | ||
Hank Azaria (Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Carl Carlson, Lou, Bumblebee Man, Julio, Drederick Tatum) Harry Shearer (Dr. Julius Hibbert) Pamela Hayden (Lewis Clark, Janey Powell) Tress MacNeille (Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon, Kumiko Albertson, Bernice Hibbert, Opal, Hubert Wong) |
Alex Désert (Carl Carlson, Lou) Eric Lopez (Bumblebee Man) Mario Jose (singing voice)/Tony Rodriguez (speaking voice) (Julio) Jay Pharoah (Drederick Tatum) Kevin Michael Richardson (Dr. Julius Hibbert) Kimberly Brooks (Lewis Clark, Janey Powell) Jenny Yokobori (Kumiko Albertson) Dawnn Lewis (Bernice Hibbert, Opal) Rosalie Chiang (Hubert Wong) TBA (Apu Nahasapeemapetilon) TBA (Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon) |
The Simpsons | All non-white roles | Jun 26, 2020 | Starting with Season 32, series producers stated that white actors would no longer voice non-white characters. These included recurring characters that were originally voiced by Azaria, Shearer, Hayden, and MacNeille. Azaria had previously stepped down from voicing Apu Nahasapeemapetilon in January 2020 due to controversy surrounding the character since the 2017 documentary The Problem with Apu from Indian-American comedian Hari Kondabolu. | [104] [105] [106] [107] [108] [109] [110] [111] [112] [113] | ||
Rob Paulsen | Sérgio Stern | Mickey Mouse universe | José Carioca | Jun 30, 2020 | During an interview with The A.V. Club, Rob Paulsen says he will no longer voice characters of color including the Brazilian José Carioca, who he first voiced since Mickey Mouse Works in 1999. Sérgio Stern voiced José in the theme parks and the Brazilian Portuguese dubs since 2013 and later voiced him in the English-speaking regions starting with the Mickey Mouse Funhouse episode, "Día de los Muertos". | [114] | ||
Deann Degruijter (Mayor Goodway) Addison Holley/Holly Gorski (Julia Goodway) James Rankin (Otis Goodway) Ron Pardo (Gustavo Goodway) |
Kim Roberts (Mayor Goodway) Sage Arrindell (Julia Goodway) Joseph Motiki (Otis Goodway) Deven Mack (Gustavo Goodway) |
PAW Patrol | The Goodway Family | Sep 10, 2020 | Episodes from the seventh season onward replace Mayor Goodway's voice actress Deann Degruijter with Kim Roberts. The same later follows for the rest of the Goodway family after the Mayor's recast. | [115] [116] | ||
Ben Diskin | Zeno Robinson | Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir | Nino Lahiffe Max Kanté |
Sep 25, 2020 | Zeno Robinson replaced Ben Diskin as the voice of Nino Lahiffe starting in the film Miraculous World: New York – United Heroez and Max Kanté starting in Season 4. | [117] [118] | ||
Rebecca Sugar | Erica Luttrell | Adventure Time: Distant Lands | Elise | Nov 20, 2020 | While Sugar voiced Elise in "Everything Stays" from the original series, she was replaced by Luttrell in "Obsidian" from Distant Lands. | [119] | ||
Addison Holley | Markeda McKay | Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood | Miss Elaina | Dec 4, 2020 | Episodes from the fifth season onward replace Miss Elaina's voice actress Addison Holley with Markeda McKay. | [120] | ||
Nika Futterman (Alexis Flores) Carlos Alazraqui (Marcus) Richard Steven Horvitz (Pablo) |
Diego Olmedo/Connor Andrade (Alexis Flores) Sean Crisden (Marcus) Eric Lopez (Pablo) |
The Loud House The Casagrandes |
Alexis Flores Marcus Pablo |
Mar 26, 2021 | After Futterman stepped down from the role that she originally voiced in The Loud House, Olmedo became the new voice of Alexis Flores starting in The Casagrandes episode "Karate Chops" until "Born to Be Mild" where the role was recast to Connor Andrade. The same thing later happened with the animal control officer Marcus in "Just Be Coo" where the character was originally voiced by Alazraqui in his first unnamed appearance in "Walk Don't Run". Later episodes of The Loud House also followed the same pattern. | [121] [122] | ||
Tyrone Savage | Kwaku Adu-Poku | Total DramaRama | Lightning | Jun 1, 2021 | While Savage voiced Lightning in Revenge of the Island and All-Stars, he was replaced by Adu-Poku in Total DramaRama when his character was introduced in "Sugar & Spice & Lightning & Frights". | [123] | ||
Scott McNeil | Deven Mack | Johnny Test | Mr. White | Jul 16, 2021 | While Scott McNeil voiced Mr. White in the original 2005 TV series, he was replaced by Deven Mack in the 2021 revival series on Netflix. Despite the recast, McNeil continued to perform in the series as King Zizrar. | [124] | ||
Heather Bambrick | Sabryn Rock | Wild Kratts | Koki | Aug 15, 2021 | Episodes from the seventh season onward replace Koki's voice actress Heather Bambrick with Sabryn Rock. | [125] [126] [127] | ||
Kazumi Evans | Cherlandra Estrada | Polly Pocket | Shani Smith | Sep 29, 2021 | Cherlandra Estrada replaced Kazumi Evans beginning with the third season. | [128] | ||
David Carling (Trevor Evans) Joanna Ruiz (Mandy Flood) Su Douglas (Helen Flood) |
Gary Wilmot (Trevor Evans) Ayesha Antoine (Mandy and Helen Flood) |
Fireman Sam | Trevor Evans Mandy and Helen Flood |
Oct 4, 2021 | Starting with the thirteenth season of the long-running Fireman Sam series, Gary Wilmot replaces the third voice actor for Trevor Evans, David Carling, and Ayesha Antonie replacing both Joanna Ruiz and Su Douglas as Mandy Flood and her daughter, Helen. | |||
Alyson Court | Holly Chou | X-Men '97 | Jubilation Lee / Jubilee | Nov 12, 2021[c] | While Court originally voiced Jubilee in the X-Men animated series from 1992-1997, she would not be reprising the role in the sequel series despite being among the original surviving cast members returning. Per her request, Court insisted that an Asian-American actress would voice the character instead. The role later went to Holly Chou. | [129] [130] | ||
Tara Strong | Bresha Webb (CeCe Proud) Aiden Dodson (BeBe Proud) |
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder | BeBe and CeCe Proud | Jan 14, 2022 | While Strong provided the infant vocal effects of BeBe and CeCe Proud in the original series, their roles were recast to Webb and Dodson in the sequel series. Strong would later guest voice in the show voicing a new character, the history teacher Ms. Brady. | [131] | ||
April Stewart (Linda Black) Trey Parker (Steven Black) |
Kimberly Brooks (Linda Black) Adrien Beard (Steven Black) |
South Park | Linda and Steven Black | Feb 9, 2022 | Beginning with the twenty-fifth season, Kimberly Brooks and Adrien Beard replaced April Stewart and series co-creator Trey Parker as Linda and Steven Black, the parents of the fourth-grade character, Tolkien Black. | |||
Jamieson Price (Yasutora "Chad" Sado) Erin Fitzgerald (Franceska Mila Rose) Travis Willingham (Charlotte Chuhlhourne) Laura Bailey (Tier Halibel) Brian Palermo (Kaname Tosen) Wendee Lee (Yoruichi Shihōin) |
Alain Mesa (Yasutora "Chad" Sado) Shara Kirby (Franceska Mila Rose) Bill Butts (Charlotte Chuhlhourne) Jeannie Tirado (Tier Halibel) A.J. Beckles (Kaname Tosen) Anairis Quiñones (Yoruichi Shihōin) |
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War | Yasutora "Chad" Sado Franceska Mila Rose Charlotte Chuhlhourne Tier Halibel Kaname Tosen Yoruichi Shihōin |
Nov 3, 2022 | Jamieson Price stated in an interview that he no longer auditions for roles of characters that are people of color and that it was a "difficult decision to say no" to his casting for the role, though Price did later welcome Mesa taking over as Chad Sado. Erin Fitzgerald then stated that the dub was non-union and that she is a union-only actress now and stated that if the dub was union, Fitzgerald would not reprise the role of Franceska Mila Rose, as the role instead went to Shara Kirby. AJ Beckles replaced Brian Palermo as Kaname Tosen, whom David Rasner originally voiced until Episode 278. Bill Butts and Jeannie Tirado replaced the husband and wife duo, Travis Willingham and Laura Bailey, with Butts voicing Charlotte Chuhlhourne and Tirado voicing Tier Halibel. Anairis Quiñones replaced Wendee Lee as Yoruichi Shihōin in Episode 388. However, on October 21, 2023, it was announced Lee would return to voice Yoruichi instead. The casting change sparked uproar by fans on social media shortly after. | [132] [133] [134] [135] [136] [137][138] | ||
Eileen Stevens | Anairis Quiñones | Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series | Iris | Feb 24, 2023 | Anairis Quiñones replaced Eileen Stevens as Iris beginning with episode JN115, "Curtain Up! Fight the Fights!". By coincidence, Stevens had stepped down from all of her roles in the series earlier in 2022 due to personal issues that led to her retirement from voice acting. | [139] | ||
Christa Miller | Mitra Jouhari | Clone High | Cleopatra Smith | Mar 24, 2023 | Starting with the 2023 revival, Iranian-American Mitra Jouhari replaced white actress Christa Miller as Cleopatra Smith. Despite the recast, Miller would later go on to voice a new character, Candide Sampson. | [140] | ||
Billy West (Leo Wong) Maurice LaMarche (Scoop Chang) John DiMaggio (Officer URL, Barbados Slim) |
Feodor Chin (Leo Wong, Scoop Chang) Kevin Michael Richardson (Officer URL, Barbados Slim) |
Futurama | Leo Wong Scoop Chang Officer URL Barbados Slim |
Jul 30, 2023 | Starting with the eighth season of the series now on Hulu, Feodor Chin replaced Billy West as Leo Wong, the father of Amy Wong, and Maurice LaMarche as reporter Scoop Chang. Kevin Michael Richardson replaced John DiMaggio as both Officer URL and Barbados Slim, the Barbadian limbo rival of Hermes Conrad. | [141] [142] [143] | ||
Justin Roiland | Ice-T | Rick and Morty | Magma-Q | December 4, 2023 | Series co-creator Justin Roiland originally voiced Ice-T/Water-T's father Magma-Q in the season two episode "Get Schwifty", the actual Ice-T later voiced Magma-Q in the season seven episode "Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie". Roiland was previously fired from the show due to legal situations surrounding him in late January 2023. | [144] | ||
Mike Judge (Ted Wassonasong, Octavio) Toby Huss (Kahn Souphanousinphone) Breckin Meyer (Joseph Gribble) |
TBA (Ted Wassonasong) TBA (Octavio) TBA (Kahn Souphanousinphone) TBA (Joseph Gribble) |
King of the Hill | Ted Wassonasong Octavio Kahn Souphanousinphone Joseph Gribble |
TBA | Several characters are expected to be recast for the upcoming revival on Hulu, consisting of series co-creator Mike Judge as Laotian businessman Ted Wassonasong and Dale Gribble's Mexican-American fixer Octavio, Toby Huss as Hank Hill's Laotian neighbor, Kahn Souphanousinphone, and Breckin Meyer as Joseph Gribble. Meyer had voiced Joseph starting with the Season 5 episode, "I Don't Want to Wait..." due to the character reaching puberty as he was originally voiced by Brittney Murphy in the first four seasons prior. Outside of Kahn during the show's original run, Huss had also voiced several characters in the series, including Hank's late father Cotton Hill and Strickland Propane co-worker Joe Jack. |
Old | New | Series | Role(s) | Reported | Details | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jessica Straus | Kimberly Woods | Eureka: Eureka Seven Hi-Evolution | Gidget | May 17, 2022 | While she originally voiced Gidget in Eureka Seven, Straus does not reprise the role in the third and final part of the Eureka Seven: Hi-Evolution film trilogy and instead welcomed Woods' casting as the character. | [145] | ||
Bayardo De Murguia | Ron Yuan | Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind | Kuai Liang / Sub-Zero | Oct 9, 2022 | Ron Yuan replaced Bayardo De Murguia as the second Sub-Zero, Kuai Liang in Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind, as Murguia voiced the character from the preceding film of the Legends series, Battle of the Realms in 2021. Yuan had previous experience in the franchise as he voiced Scorpion in Mortal Kombat 11 from 2019. | [146] | ||
Dave Willis | Killer Mike | Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm | Boxy Brown | Oct 16, 2022 | While Aqua Teen Hunger Force co-creator Dave Willis originally voiced Boxy Brown during its original run, the role went to rapper Killer Mike in Plantasm. Killer Mike had previously appeared in the season four episode, "Boost Mobile", and performed the theme song for the film with El-P as the rap duo, Run the Jewels. | [147] | ||
Mae Whitman (Katara) Jack DeSena (Sokka) |
Jessica Matten (Katara) TBA (Sokka) |
Untitled Avatar 2025 Feature Film | Katara Sokka |
Nov 30, 2023 | Mae Whitman revealed in an interview in May 2023 that she would no longer be reprising Katara in the future, including an upcoming feature film set to be out in 2025. Jessica Matten was revealed to be the new voice actress for the character in November of that same year. | [148][149] |
Old | New | Title | Role(s) | Reported | Details | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Erin Fitzgerald | Laura Stahl | Guilty Gear Strive | Ramlethal Valentine | May 14, 2021 | As Fitzgerald originally voiced Valentine in Guilty Gear Xrd in 2014, the role was given to Stahl starting with the English-language version of Strive. | [150] [151] [152] | ||
Greg Baldwin (Uncle Iroh) James Garrett (Avatar Roku) |
Cory Yee (Uncle Iroh) Earl Baylon (Avatar Roku) |
Smite | Uncle Iroh Avatar Roku |
Dec 21, 2021 | As Greg Baldwin first voiced Iroh in the final season of the Avatar: The Last Airbender television series following the passing of his original actor Mako Iwamatsu in 2006, he was replaced by Cory Yee as a skin for the free-to-play, third-person multiplayer online battle arena title Smite in December 2021. Likewise, Earl Baylon later replaced James Garrett as Avatar Roku starting with the 10.8 update on July 31, 2023. Baylon would later reprise the role in Quest for Balance shortly nearly two months later in September of that same year, while Artt Butler would instead voice Iroh the same title. Baldwin later welcomed both Yee and Butler's castings in open arms. | [153][154][155][156] | ||
Michaela Jill Murphy | Vivian Vencer | Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl | Toph Beifong (Avatar: The Last Airbender) | Jun 6, 2022 | While she voiced Toph Beifong in the television series when Murphy was a child, Vivian Vencer replaced her as the character starting with a voice acting-related patch of the 2021 title, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl due to the actress being aged out from the role now as an adult. Vencer would go on to voice Toph again in Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway that same year, and Quest for Balance the following year. Another actress, Julia Gu also voiced the character as a skin in Smite. | [157][158] | ||
Taliesin Jaffe (Blanka) Laura Bailey (Chun-Li) Christopher Bevins (Dhalsim) |
Luis Bermudez (Blanka) Jennie Kwan (Chun-Li) Keith Silverstein (Dhalsim) |
Street Fighter 6 | Blanka Chun-Li Dhalsim |
Jun 11, 2022 | Taliesin Jaffe, Laura Bailey, and Christopher Bevins first voiced Blanka, Chun-Li, and Dhalsim in Street Fighter IV in 2009, though Bailey was replaced by Ashly Burch in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite in 2017. She last reprised Chun-Li as paid content for Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid in 2021. Keith Silverstein had previously voiced Gouken in Street Fighter V in 2016 before voicing Dhalsim. | [159] [160] | ||
Dustin Sardella | Davis Pak | Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway | Avatar Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender) | Oct 14, 2022 | While the character was first voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen in the television series as a child, Davis Pak replaced Dustin Sardella as Aang in Slime Speedway after Sardella voiced him in a voice acting-related patch of the 2021 title, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl that same year. Pak would voice Aang again in Quest for Balance the following year, though Caz Ingram would later succeed Pak in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 shortly afterward. | [161] | ||
Erika Harlacher | Anairis Quiñones | River City Girls 2 | Noize | Dec 6, 2022 | Erika Harlacher originally voiced Noize in the first River City Girls title in 2019. She later voiced Marian in the sequel after Anairis Quiñones took over the role of Noize. | [162] [163] | ||
Townsend Coleman | Yuki Matsuzaki | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge | Miyamoto Usagi | Jun 13, 2023 | Townsend Coleman originally voiced Miyamoto Usagi in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series. For the Dimension Shellshock expansion of Shredder's Revenge, a game inspired by the 1987 series released in June 2022, Yuki Matsuzaki replaced Coleman as the character. Matsuzaki had previous experience voicing Miyamoto Usagi in both the 2012 animated series and Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles prior. | [164] | ||
Steve Blum (Sub-Zero) Jennifer Hale (Tanya) Dave B. Mitchell (Geras) Tara Strong (Li-Mei) Ronald M. Banks (Quan Chi) |
Kaiji Tang (Sub-Zero) Cherise Boothe (Tanya) Phil LaMarr (Geras) Kelly Hu (Li-Mei) Sean T. Krishnan (Quan Chi) |
Mortal Kombat 1 | All non-white roles | Jul 15, 2023 | Starting with the twelfth installment of the Mortal Kombat series; several white actors were recast in favor of ethnic-related castings. Steve Blum had first voiced Sub-Zero dating back to the series tenth installment, Mortal Kombat X in 2015. He would later reprise the role for subsequent releases such as Injustice 2 in 2017, Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019, and the direct-to-video animated film Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge in 2020. Like Blum, Jennifer Hale, and Tara Strong also voiced both Tanya and Li-Mei in the same title before they were replaced by Cherise Boothe and Kelly Hu respectively. Ronald M. Banks first voiced Quan Chi in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe from 2008 up until X seven years later, while Dave B. Mitchell originally voiced Geras in 11, before being replaced by Sean T. Krishnan and Phil LaMarr. Despite the recastings of Sub-Zero and Tanya, both Blum and Hale reprised their roles as Baraka and Kronika from 11. | [165] [166] [167] [168] | ||
Daveigh Chase | Micah Alling | Disney Speedstorm | Lilo Pelekai (Lilo & Stitch) | Aug 1, 2023 | Starting with the third-season update of the free-to-play racing title, Micah Alling assumes the role of Lilo Pelekai from her original voice actress Daveigh Chase, who had grown out of the role since the conclusion of the television series in 2006. Alling would later voice Lilo again in a Disney-themed promotion for Cookie Run: Kingdom. | [169] | ||
Grey DeLisle | Suzie Yeung | Avatar Generations | Princess Azula | Aug 30, 2023 | Suzie Yeung replaces Azula's original voice actress, Grey DeLisle from the television series starting with the Generations mobile game. She would later voice Azula again in Quest for Balance and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 in Fall 2023. | [170][171] | ||
Mark Hamill (Fire Lord Ozai) Jason Isaacs (Admiral Zhao) Clancy Brown (Long Feng) Johanna Braddy (Princess Yue) André Sogliuzzo (King Bumi, Chief Hakoda) Olivia Hack (Ty-Lee) Marc Graue (Xin Fu) Cam Clarke (Lao Beifong) Gabrielle Carteris (Poppy Beifong) René Auberjonois[d] (The Mechanist) Michael Dow (Haru) Victor Brandt (Master Pakku) |
James Sie (Fire Lord Ozai) Michael Braun (Admiral Zhao, Long Feng) Grace Woosley (Princess Yue) Sunil Malhotra (King Bumi) Brent Mukai (Chief Hakoda) Vivian Vencer (Ty-Lee) Donald Chang (Xin Fu) Howard Wang (Lao Beifong) Michelle Wong (Poppy Beifong) Cory Yee (The Mechanist) Vincent Tong (Haru) Pun Bandhu (Master Pakku) |
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Quest for Balance | All non-white originated roles | Sep 22, 2023 | Several caucasian voice actors of the Avatar: The Last Airbender television series were recast for Quest for Balance, with the roles now performed by actors of Asian and indigenous descent at Nickelodeon's behest. James Sie had previously voiced the Cabbage merchant in the television series, and would go on to reprise the role in the 2024 Netflix live-action series, while Sunil Malhotra previously voiced Prince Wu in the sequel series, The Legend of Korra. | [172] | ||
Jamieson Price | Rich Brown | Detective Pikachu Returns | Frank Holiday | Oct 6, 2023 | Rich Brown assumed the role from Jamieson Price, who originally voiced Frank Holiday in the first Detective Pikachu title from 2018. | [173] | ||
Janet Varney (Korra) Peter Renaday (Splinter) |
Jacqueline Grace Lopez (Korra) Hoon Lee (Splinter) |
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 | Avatar Korra (The Legend of Korra) Hamato Yoshi/Master Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) |
Nov 7, 2023 | After voicing Korra for a decade in both The Legend of Korra television series and several games in the years after the show's conclusion, Janet Varney confirmed at MCM London Comic Con 2022 that she would no longer reprise the role in the future; where her final performance for the character was in Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway. She insisted on having a woman of color in the role, as Jacqueline Grace Lopez replaced her the next year. Hoon Lee replaced Peter Renaday as the Hamato Yoshi Splinter from the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series. By interest, Lee had previously voiced a different incarnation of Splinter in the 2012 animated series, due to Renaday's retirement from voice acting in the late 2010s. | [174][175] |
Series/film | Episode(s) | Reported | Details | Ref. | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Little Britain Come Fly with Me |
all | Jun 8, 2020 | Netflix pulled Little Britain and the BBC and BritBox followed three days later. The show has "long been criticized for its portrayal of black and Asian characters by the white comedians, as well as gay characters and those with disabilities".[e] Netflix also pulled another show that contained blackface, Come Fly with Me, by the same creators. On 16 March 2022, the BBC made Little Britain available to view on BBC iPlayer again with some characters being cut from the original release. | [177] [176] [178] | |||||||||||
Gone with the Wind | — | Jun 9, 2020 | HBO Max pulled the film because it "depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society"; the service "felt that to keep this title up without an explanation and a denouncement of those depictions would be irresponsible". The film was eventually reinstated with an introduction by cinema professor Jacqueline Stewart explaining its depiction of a "world of grace and beauty, without acknowledging the brutalities of the system of chattel slavery upon which this world is based". The original content of the film is available on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray. | [179] [180] [181] | |||||||||||
Angry Boys Jonah from Tonga Summer Heights High We Can Be Heroes |
all | Jun 10, 2020 | Netflix pulled four Chris Lilley shows for using blackface, brownface, and yellowface. In what was characterized as a "defiant move", Lilley shared a deleted scene from Jonah from Tonga online. | [182] [183] | |||||||||||
Bo' Selecta! | all | Jun 10, 2020 | All 4 pulled the show after comedian Leigh Francis tearfully apologized for having "portrayed many black celebrities" on the show using latex facemasks. | [184] [185] [186] | |||||||||||
Bubble Guppies | S03E02: "The Police Cop-Etition!" | Jun 10, 2020 | The Nick Jr. Channel and Noggin apps pulled the episode because of it being themed around police. A rerun was slated to air on the Nick Jr. Channel on June 12, 2020, but was replaced with "Come To Your Senses!" the day before it was scheduled to air. The episode is still available on DVD. | [187] | |||||||||||
The League of Gentlemen The Mighty Boosh |
all | Jun 10, 2020 | Netflix pulled the shows because they contained characters "played by white actors wearing blackface": Papa Lazarou in The League of Gentlemen and The Spirit of Jazz in The Mighty Boosh. | [188] [189] | |||||||||||
Sam & Cat | S01E27: "#BlueDogSoda" | Jun 10, 2020 | On Netflix, Nickelodeon's streaming services, and later reruns of the episode on television, Sam's line, "Step away? I'll step on your neck" was cut. The uncut episode is available on DVD. | ||||||||||||
Fawlty Towers | S01E06: "The Germans" | Jun 11, 2020 | After UKTV pulled the episode because it "contains racial slurs", show creator John Cleese called the people running the BBC "a mixture of marketing people and petty bureaucrats" who were "cowardly and gutless". Cleese explained that the character using the slurs "was an old fossil left over from decades before" and said, "We were not supporting his views, we were making fun of them". UKTV later stated they would reinstate the episode along with guidance noting that it contained "potentially offensive content and language". | [190] [191] [192] [193] [194] | |||||||||||
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia |
|
Jun 11, 2020[f] | Netflix, Hulu and Star on Disney+ (despite Disney+ not streaming the series on its Star hub previously but the mentioned episodes are not streaming on Disney+ in Australia, New Zealand and Canada) pulled five episodes that contained brownface or blackface. All five episodes mentioned are available on DVD. | [195] [196] [197] | |||||||||||
Tyler Perry's Young Dylan | S01E05: "The Enforcer" | Jun 11, 2020 | The episode was pulled from reruns and Nickelodeon's app as it dealt with the titular character starting a protest over school uniforms. | [198] | |||||||||||
Minoriteam | all | Jun 12, 2020 | Cartoon Network and Adult Swim pulled the series from their streaming services, due to the show's depiction of racial stereotypes. | [199] [200] | |||||||||||
Million Dollar Extreme Presents: World Peace | all | Jun 12, 2020 | Cartoon Network and Adult Swim pulled the series from their streaming services, due to allegations from sources of "coded racial messages, including swastikas" being found in the original cut of the show, which were removed by network standards and practices ahead of broadcast. | [201] [202] | |||||||||||
W/ Bob & David | S01E03: "Episode 3" | Jun 16, 2020 | Netflix pulled the episode that included a sketch called "Know Your Rights", which featured blackface "in an attempt to satirize police brutality". Prior to removal, David Cross, who portrayed the character who wore blackface, stated, "The point of this was to underscore the absurdity...well, here's your last chance to figure it out". | [203] [204] | |||||||||||
PAW Patrol |
|
Jun 20, 2020 | These two Ultimate Rescue episodes were pulled from Nickelodeon's line-up as they depicted the other pups becoming police officers like Chase. Both episodes mentioned are available on DVD. | [205] | |||||||||||
30 Rock |
|
Jun 22, 2020 | Tina Fey and NBCUniversal requested the pulling of four episodes that used blackface.[h] All four episodes mentioned are available on DVD. | [207] [206] | |||||||||||
Scrubs | S03E08: "My Friend the Doctor" S05E04: "My Jiggly Ball" S05E17: "My Chopped Liver" |
Jun 24, 2020 | Hulu pulled the episodes, which contained instances of blackface, at the request of show creator Bill Lawrence and ABC Studios. "My Chopped Liver" also contained an instance of whiteface. All three episodes mentioned are available on DVD. The episodes are also still available on Disney+ Canada. | [209] [208] | |||||||||||
Community | S02E14: "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" | Jun 26, 2020 | Netflix and Hulu announced the pulling of the episode, which included a scene that contained blackface. Producer Sony Pictures Television supported the decision. The episode mentioned is available on DVD. | [210] | |||||||||||
The Office |
|
Jun 26, 2020 | Show creator Greg Daniels edited out a scene which contained blackface. The episode that has this scene intact is available on DVD. | [211] [212] | |||||||||||
The Golden Girls | S03E23: "Mixed Blessings" | Jun 27, 2020 | Hulu pulled the episode, which included a scene that contained blackface. The episode mentioned is available on DVD. | [213] | |||||||||||
Peep Show |
|
Jun 29, 2020 | Netflix removed a scene containing blackface. | [214] [215] | |||||||||||
Bluey | S01E48: "Teasing" S02E24: "Flat Pack" |
Aug 20, 2020 | Disney+ and ABC Australia pulled the two episodes from their services due to the negative depictions of Aboriginal Australians, despite changing the stereotypical dialogues for subsequent broadcast. | [216] | |||||||||||
Aqua Teen Hunger Force | S06E02: "Shake Like Me" | Sep 29, 2020 | Cartoon Network and Adult Swim pulled the episode from their rerun rotation and streaming services, whose plot was described as an "animated equivalent of blackface". The episode is still available on Aqua Teen Volume 6 DVD and on Google Play. The episode is not included on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force: The Baffler Meal Complete Collection DVD. | [217] | |||||||||||
The Boondocks | S03E04: "The Story of Jimmy Rebel" | Sep 29, 2020 | Cartoon Network and Adult Swim intentionally excluded the episode from their streaming services due to perceived racial insensitivities over the episode's portrayal of a racist country singer named Jimmy Rebel (a parody of real-life white supremacist country singer Johnny Rebel). The episode is still available on DVD. | [218] |
Series | Announced | Details | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Jun 2, 2020 | Writer Craig Gore was fired after posting a photo of himself armed with a rifle and threatening to "light motherfuckers up who are trying to fuck w/ my property" during the protests. Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer of the Law & Order franchise, stated, "I will not tolerate this conduct, especially during our hour of national grief. I am terminating Craig Gore immediately." Gore's talent agency, Paradigm, also dropped him as a client. | [219] [220] [221] | |
L.A.'s Finest | Jun 8, 2020 | Spectrum postponed the show's second-season premiere to an unspecified date later in 2020. | [222] | |
Body Cam | Jun 9, 2020 | A spokesperson for Investigation Discovery stated that the show was "off the schedule for the foreseeable future". The show returned to the schedule the following year. | [223] [224] | |
Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Jun 23, 2020 | The final season of the series (season 8) was reworked, and four already-made episodes were put aside. | [225] | |
The Amazing Race Big Brother Love Island Survivor Tough as Nails |
Nov 9, 2020 | CBS announced that in upcoming seasons of their unscripted reality series, 50% of the cast will consist of people of color. | [226] [227] | |
Total Drama | Feb 17, 2021 | When a new season was commissioned, Fresh TV would only have characters voiced by people of the exact race. For example, Barbara Mamabolo, African Canadian actress who previously cast as the Caucasian contestant Zoey on Total Drama: Revenge of the Island, will be cast as Millie, who is African Canadian. | [228][229] | |
South Park | Feb 9, 2022 | Starting with the Season 25 episode "The Big Fix", the character formally known as Token Black was retconned and renamed into Tolkien Black, as he is named after The Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien. | [230] |
For food and drinks that are changing their names or imagery, see List of name changes due to the George Floyd protests § Food and drink. |
Game | Reported | Details | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Magic: The Gathering | Jun 10, 2020 | Wizards of the Coast announced that it was pulling seven cards, including "Invoke Prejudice",[j] "Cleanse",[k] "Jihad", and "Pradesh Gypsies", after being accused of "pervasive ongoing racism" not only in its card design but also in its employment practices. The announcement did not address the employment issues. | [233] [234] [235] [231] [236] [232] | |
Dungeons & Dragons | Jun 17, 2020 | Wizards of the Coast admitted that "some of the peoples in the games—orcs and drow being two of the prime examples—have been characterized as monstrous and evil", and committed to making changes, such as depicting "orcs and drow [as] just as morally and culturally complex as other peoples" in their books and "proactively seeking new, diverse talent to join [their] staff". | [237] [238] [239] | |
Fortnite | Jun 17, 2020 | Players noted the removal of police cars from the game as early as June 17, 2020. Developer Epic Games declined to comment, though an unnamed person "familiar with the game's development" stated, "I wouldn't say it's a political statement. I think it's just us being sensitive about the issues many people in our audience are dealing with." Cars were not functional within the game, so the removal of police cars was merely a cosmetic change. | [240] [241] [242] | |
Forza | Jun 26, 2020 | Turn 10 Studios updated their enforcement guidelines in Forza games to include the Confederate flag under "Notorious iconography" and administer a ban for any further use under any circumstances. The games are known for their livery editors where players could create thousands of layers of graphics to draw shapes, letters, and pictures. A prominent use of the flag in-game was to create virtual replicas of the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard. | [243] [244] | |
Scrabble | Jul 7, 2020 | Hasbro and the North American Scrabble Players Association agreed to remove 225 words from official Scrabble competition. Hasbro said it will "make clear that slurs are not permissible in any form of the game." | [245] [246] [247] | |
Grand Theft Auto | Oct 25, 2021 | Before the release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, media outlets noted that Rockstar Games removed textures of the Confederate flag in one of the characters shirts, replacing it with a skull. | [248][249] |
Product | Country | Reported | Executed | Details | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Límpido (bleach) |
Colombia | Jun 19, 2020 | Jun 19, 2020 | The parent company Clorox stated that the brand would no longer use the image of "Blanquita", a character derived from the "mammy" racial stereotype. | [251] | |
Good Humor (ice cream) |
United States | Aug 13, 2020 | Aug 13, 2020 | The ice cream company hired RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan to create a jingle to replace the familiar "Turkey in the Straw" melody heard in its ice cream trucks because of the early 19th-century folk song's associations with minstrel shows, blackface and racist lyrics. | [252] [253] | |
Hallmark | United States | Aug 27, 2020 | Aug 27, 2020 | In wake of the retheming of Splash Mountain, Hallmark pulled a Mickey Mouse ornament that played "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" from its 2020 ornament line-up. | [254] | |
Fred Perry (clothing) |
United Kingdom | Sep 24, 2020 | Sep 24, 2020 | The clothing company announced they are retiring the Black/Yellow/Yellow twin tipped shirt that was "appropriated" by the Proud Boys. | [255] [256] [257] |
Item changed | Location | Reported | Details | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reference to the Robert E. Lee Tree | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park's website | The name of the Robert E. Lee tree was removed from a website listing the world's largest sequoias in order to "promote inclusiveness." The name of the tree cannot be changed without the approval of either Congress or the leadership of the National Park Service. | [258] | ||
Skin tone preferences | Shaadi.com | Jun 11, 2020 | The decision was made due to a petition shared online on the basis of eliminating colorism. | [259] | |
ΔΤΔ | Delta Tau Delta fraternity, Lambda chapter | Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN | Jul 15, 2020 | Members of the fraternity disbanded their chapter and called for disbanding the "Interfraternity Council and Pan-Hellenic System" because "[h]istorically white Greek Life is an institution that has wielded an enormous amount of social, academic and financial capital in a way that has done immense personal and structural harm to our fellow classmates." The move comes amid "[n]ationwide social justice movements that have taken place over the past few months." | [260] [261] |
Ethnic and social justice studies requirement | California State University system | Jul 23, 2020 | The Cal State Board of Trustees approved making a one-course graduation requirement in ethnic and social justice studies. The first change in Cal State's general education curriculum in over 40 years, it will be required from the 2023–2024 academic year. | [262] | |
Frölunda HC logo and nickname | Gothenburg, Sweden | Sep 17, 2020 | The Swedish Hockey League ice hockey team announced that they would stop using the Frölunda Indians moniker as well as its logo depicting a Native American. Due to financial and practical reasons, however, the team continued to use their current jerseys for the 2020–21 SHL season. After backlash from a proposed redesign in February 2022, the team updated their logo in April 20, 2022. | [263][264] | |
Mutual of Omaha logo | Omaha, Nebraska | Nov 12, 2020 | The insurance and finance company retired its 70-year-old Indian chief head logo, replacing it with an African lion, partly as a nod to its long-time sponsorship of the television program Wild Kingdom. | [266] |