Black Animated Series Gracie’s Corner Lands Disney+ and Disney Jr. Deal

Gracie’s Corner, the Black animated children’s show created by husband-and-wife duo Javoris Hollingsworth and Arlene Gordon-Hollingsworth, is heading to Disney+ and Disney Jr. on June 15.

The family-built YouTube series launched in 2020 to address the lack of Black representation in children’s programming. Inspired by their daughter Graceyn Hollingsworth, they built the show so that she could see Black families like their own on screen. 

Since its debut, Gracie’s Corner has amassed more than 6.3 million subscribers on YouTube. Now, the husband-and-wife duo has granted Disney the rights to bring their hit show to Disney+ and Disney Jr.

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Inspired at Home 

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, families were forced to stay inside, parents were working from home, and children were learning online. Many parents turned to educational videos on platforms like YouTube to keep their children occupied while learning. It was during this time that the Hollingsworth duo – both university professors – noticed a lack of diversity of characters in the children’s shows. 

“Did you realize that none of the characters look like our children?” Javoris asked his wife. 

Rather than waiting for more representation to appear, the couple started creating the kind of content they wanted their children to grow up with. 

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Hip-Hop Kids can Learn from 

Animated children’s show Gracie’s Corner

Drawing on their professional backgrounds, the parents built a show grounded in expertise. Arlene, a clinical psychologist, and Javoris, a chemistry professor, combined their knowledge to create Gracie’s Corner.

Inspired by their daughter, Graceyn, Gracie’s Corner features animated versions of her and her family. The series reworks nursery rhymes with hip-hop, R&B, and other contemporary sounds. The Hollingsworths were intentional about using music as a medium to teach kids about literacy, math, science, and social-emotional topics. 

Early videos drew only a few hundred views, primarily from relatives and friends, until a phonics-focused song helped the channel break through. The song is set in ancient Egypt, with the characters wearing traditional Egyptian attire and sporting black hairstyles, including braids and a tapered fade. Today it has 259 million views. 

Arlene Gordon-Hollingsworth put it simply: it didn’t always look like the show would succeed, but what they set out to do has proven important for other families, too. Gracie’s Corner has won multiple NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Children’s Program and Outstanding Animated Series. 

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What the Disney Deal Looks Like 

The Hollingsworths aren’t handing over the brand. Instead, Disney has acquired global linear and streaming rights to more than 120 shorts and 18 themed compilations. The deal also enables Disney and the Hollingsworth family to create new original content together going forward.

What makes this deal notable is that Gracie’s Corner will continue running on YouTube even as it expands onto Disney’s platforms. 

“We always wanted to make sure that our content is accessible and available to those who may not have access to some of the things that others have,” Javoris said. “Disney respected that.”

For a family that started with a few hundred views, the Disney deal marks a major milestone as they join one of the world’s biggest distributors of children’s shows. Gracie’s Corner will premiere on Disney+ and Disney Jr. this June, joining a lineup that includes Bluey and Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends. 

The parents behind the show affirm the mission stays the same: giving Black and Brown children stories that feature them, wherever they’re watching.

Caption: The black animated children’s show Gracie’s Corner