I’ve written quite a bit here at the Institute about Walt’s sense of charity and giving back. He was always willing to help a good cause (and much more on this in future Institute essays), but as you know he was especially fond of his roots (Chicago, Illinois; Marceline, Missouri; and Kansas City, Missouri). In the 1930s he was often sending off little things to help along the people and organizations from his “hometowns.” All of the big things he did are documented, but many of the day-to-day requests to help Walt responded to, but they are often forgotten. Remember, it was the Great Depression, and Mickey Mouse became the everyman, overcoming odds and prevailing. As we have heard, the song “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” was a rallying cry for many during the height of the Depression. The same can be said of a lot of small gestures Walt gave back to his communities to help out. Such as these Easter Eggs. Seemingly today, really not much of anything. During the Depression, this was something significant and important. It lifted people’s spirits. It helped the community. And, it was a nice thing to do. As I preach to my students “Historical Context,” I ask you to think about living through the Depression and having someone from your community who has truly made good, give something back. It was hope. Hope in the future and the American dream. “If Walt Disney, who grew up right here in Kansas City, can make his dreams comes true, then so can I. To Hell with the Depression. And then, when I make it, I can give back too.” A worn out cliche, “It was a simpler time”–but it really was, and it was people like Walt Disney who made the tough times bearable.
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