African American animators have made significant contributions to the animation industry for many years, despite insurmountable challenges and barriers. One of the earliest African American animators was Frank C. Braxton, Jr., who began his career in the mid-1950’s and was the first black animator hired at both Disney and Warner Bros. Braxton worked on several classic cartoons, including the Tom & Jerry shorts, The Bullwinkle Show, George of the Jungle, and in Bill Melendez produced Peanuts specials.

In the 1960’s and 1970’s, African American animators such as Floyd Norman made their imprint into the industry. Norman worked on a number of notable classic and popular cartoons, including the likes of Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and The Jungle Book.

More recently, African American animators such as Pilar Newton, Bruce Smith, and LeSean Thomas have diversified and broadened the landscape of the Black animator in not only what is presented, but how it is presented. Newton has worked on such known projects as Courage the Cowardly Dog and MTV’s Daria. Smith is best known for his work on The Proud Family and the animated film The Princess and the Frog, while Thomas was the co-director of Aaron McGruder’s The Boondocks, and supervising director on Black Dynamite.

Overall, the history of African American animation is rich and varied, with many talented artists making significant contributions to the industry. Despite facing challenges and barriers, these animators have played a crucial role in shaping the world of animation and continue to inspire future generations.