Photos: Disneyland Honors Black Leaders, Artists and Thinkers with Heritage Trail of Dynamic Displays for Celebrate Soulfully
Celebrate Soulfully has arrived to the Disneyland Resort, celebrating Black culture all month-long through food, music and a new series of displays. Here, we take a look at the new heritage trail of dynamic displays across the resort, celebrating influential Black leaders, artists, and thinkers from the past and present. From Frontierland to Hollywood Land and various spots in between, each display will recognize how these inspiring individuals shaped culture and industries for generations.
Guests can pick up a physical guide to the Celebrate Soulfully displays at Off the Page in Disney California Adventure, although not all of the featured leaders, artists, and thinkers are listed.
Frederick Douglass – Main Street U.S.A.
In spite of being born into a life of slavery, Frederick Douglass learned to read and write, using his voice and pen to fight for emancipation, civil rights, and freedom for all. He escaped slavery when he was twenty and rose to prominence as a national leader of the abolitionist movement, promoting complex and groundbreaking ideas. His fame led to several meetings with Lincoln, where Douglass pushed for the emancipation of slaves and the inclusion of African Americans in the Union Army. Frederick Douglass is revered for his relentless pursuit of equality!
This display can be found, appropriately, just to the right of the entrance to the Main Street Opera House.
Scott Joplin – Main Street U.S.A.
He cultivated a new sound with his uncanny ability to play the cornet, sparking a revolutionary musicall craze. Renowned for his first and most popular song, "Maple Leaf Rag," Joplin is considered a multipurpose musician, having composed 40 ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. Scott Joplin's influence is still felt in popular music!
Martha Blanding – Main Street U.S.A.
Beginning her illustrious career as Disneyland's first Black Tour Guide, Martha Blanding hosted distinguished guests, ranging from notable celebrities to international delegates. Martha's work ethic paved the way of her becoming Senior Manager of Disneyland Resort Merchandise and Special Events as well as co-founder of PULSE — an employee resource group for Black Disneyland Cast Members. After retirement, Martha co-authored the best-selling memoir, Groundbreaking Magic: A Black Woman's Journey Through the Happiest Place on Earth. She was inducted as a Disney Legend-the first Black Disney Parks Cast Member to receive the honor. For half a century, Martha Blanding has embodied the Cast Member motto – "We Create Happiness."
You'll find this display in one of the shop windows of the Emporium.
Don Flemons – Frontierland
In 2025, Flemons was inducted into the American Banjo Hall of Fame for promotion of the banjo. After a successful run as a founding member of the band, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Don became a Grammy award winner with four nominations, including one for the album's Black cowboys. Don Flemons is a bridge that connects yesterday to today and tomorrow!
Leah Chase – Tiana's Palace
Leah Chase cooked her way to success with grit, determination and her love of Creole cuisine, with the world-famous Dooky Chase's Restaurant – a New Orleans landmark founded by her mother and father-in-law. Her life story was one of the inspirations behind Princess Tiana in The Princess and the Frog. To this day, Leah Chase's profound legacy lives on through her delicious recipes and her unforgettable lessons of unity!
Ron Husband – New Orleans Square
A window dedicated to Disney's first Black animator, Ron Husband, was being prepared during our visit. Some of Ron's sketches of characters such as Gaston are displayed in the window, but it has yet to receive any dedication to Ron himself.
Guion S. Bluford Jr. – Tomorrowland
Guion ("Guy") S. Bluford, Jr. was the first Black astronaut to fly into space. In his youth, Guy's fascination with airplanes and spacecraft propelled him to serve in the U.S. Air Forse. Soon, he became a fighter pilot, a flight instructor, earned a PhD in aerospace engineering and rose to the rank of colonel. Guion S. Bluford, Jr. is an inspiration who truly reached for the stars!
Floyd Norman – Buena Vista Street
Floyd Norman has led an illustrious career with an unflinching honesty, which has truly made him a Disney Legend. As Disney's first Black animation and story artist, Floyd worked on such classics as Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, and The Jungle Book. Floyd co-founded the AfroKids animation studio, where he co-created the original Hey! Hey! Hey! It's Fat Albert television special, in 1969. Floyd returned to Disney to work on Robin Hood, Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch, and The Kwicky Koala Show, to name a few. More recently, he worked on Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., and Mulan. Floyd Norman is a trailblazer for animators everywhere!
Lanny Smoot – Hollywood Land
Lanny began his career with Walt Disney Imagineering back in 1998 on the Disney Research team before becoming a Disney Research Fellow in 2014. Through his work, Lanny has the most patents to his name out of any Imagineer with 106. Some of his more recognizable works include added special effects to The Haunted Mansion, including Madame Leota’s floating head, the extendable lightsaber used at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, and, most recently, the HoloTile floor.
Olun Riley – Off the Page
Olun Riley joined Walt Disney Animation Studios as lead lighting artist on Meet the Robinsons and Bolt, and held critical roles in converting classic films into 3D. Olun's other credits: Frozen, Moana, and Encanto, to name a few. As a lighting supervisor on Big Hero 6, Strange World and Zootopia 2, Olun worked with the directors of cinematography and designers on multiple sequences. Olun Riley's passion has lit the way with his inspiring legacy in animation and visual effects!
Austin Traylor – Off the Page
Once graduating from Laguna College of Art + Design and earning a spot at The Walt Disney Animation Studios Apprentice Program, Austin Traylor achieved his first Disney credit as an animation apprentice for the animated short, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Austin went on to become a hand-drawn animator for Moana 2, as well as the Emmy-winning short, Once Upon a Studio. Austin Traylor personifies an artist inspires us all to dream big!
Marlon West – Off the Page
As a visual effects supervisor for Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marlon West has worked on multiple projects, including, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Princess and the Frog and Moana, to name a few. Most notably, Marlon was co-Visual Effects Supervisor on Zootopia 2 and VFX Supervisor on Iwájú, and served as co-Head of Effects Animation for the Oscar-winning feature films Frozen and Encanto, as well as Frozen 2 and Moana. When it comes to bringing memorable stories to life, Marlon West is a true artist with boundless creativity!
Nikkolas Smith – Downtown Disney LIVE! Stage
A self-described activist, award-winning author and film concept artist Nikkolas Smith has infused social justice into his unique portfolio of art. At Hampton University, Nicholas earned his Master's Degree in Architecture. During his eleven-year career as a Disney Imagineer, Nikkolas realized art and architecture share the same values – both fill spaces, tell powerful stories, and bring people together. Known for his depictions of marginalized voices, Nikkolas has designed the Legacy Tower at Downtown Disney.
Find out how else you can Celebrate Soulfully during Black History Month at the Disneyland Resort!
More Disneyland Resort News:
- The Seattle Seahawks have won the Super Bowl — and now it's time for all of the 12s to head to the Happiest Place on Earth.
- As Disney California Adventure celebrates its 25th anniversary, Disney has hinted that a long-gone holiday entertainment offering may see a return.
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run is already preparing for the timeline shift, as nods to the sequel trilogy's lovable porgs are being removed.
- In celebration of the DCA's 25th anniversary, guests at the park received special commemorative maps and buttons.