ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Little Theatre’s Black Cinema Series celebrated Black History Month by hosting Floyd Norman, the first African American artist hired by Walt Disney in 1957.

Norman’s resume includes classics like “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Jungle Book,” “Mulan,” and Pixar films such as “Toy Story 2” and “Monsters, Inc.” The Little Theatre not only screened his documentary, “Floyd Norman: An Animated Life,” but also featured a Zoom interview with the man himself.

“Walt had a way of looking at people and seeing things in them that they didn’t see in themselves,” the 90-year-old Norman said via Zoom.

Richard McCullogh, Chair of the Black Cinema Series Committee, described Norman as “an embodiment of the entire animation history in this country.”

He emphasized the importance of representation, saying, “Kids can see this guy say, ‘hey, wow, maybe I have a chance to do something like that.’ Somebody that they may recognize or someone that looks like them.”

Cyruss Bell, an RIT Animation student, found Norman’s story inspiring as a black man in animation.

“Unlike a lot of stories that I hear about black folks, this wasn’t all doom and gloom. It’s actually very positive,” Bell said. “And he hasn’t had any major problems in the animation industry, which surprised many people because he’s been asked this question in multiple interviews and it’s the same response every time.

Michelle Thomas expressed a desire for more awareness about Norman’s contributions. “I think they need more networking and more advertisements to teach people more about who he is and his history,” she said.

The next Black Cinema Series viewing, “Ain’t No Back on the Merry Go Round,” will be shown at The Little Theatre on Wednesday.

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