Name: LIFE@Lynchburg | The Business of Magic
Start: 2026-02-04T10:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-02-04T12:00:00-05:00
Location: Sydnor Performance Hall

The Business of Magic: The Walt Disney Company's Political and Cultural Economy
The Walt Disney Company is more than just the ”House of the Mouse” or the “Happiest Place on Earth, it is one of the most powerful players in the global media economy, impacting culture, business practices, and even government policy. This presentation examines the company’s political economy, tracing how it evolved from a small animation studio into an entertainment powerhouse that now controls galaxies and superhero universes.
How does Disney handle changes in the political landscape as it faces headwinds in the United States, including immigration issues that impact tourism and labor in the Disney parks, accusations of politically motivated speech from Disney-owned entities, and shifting cultural norms in its filmed entertainment?
Be our guest in considering how Disney shapes not only the stories we tell but also their distribution and who receives a happily ever after in the global media landscape.
Speaker Biographies:
Dr. Ghislaine Lewis is an associate professor of communication studies at the University of Lynchburg. She completed her undergraduate degree in communication and religion at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and her Master of Science in journalism from Florida A&M University. Her PhD in media and communication is from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, and her graduate certificate in higher education is from Monash University in Australia.
This is her ninth year at the University, where she teaches classes in communication and Africana Studies. She is the advisor for the University’s campus newspaper, The Critograph, and is a trainer with the University of Lynchburg’s National Coalition Building Institute team.
Dr. Lewis was also the first executive director of the Pierce Street Gateway and a founding member of the Pierce Street Community Garden. She has also served as board chair for CVANE. She currently serves on the boards of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and the Link Project, and on the exhibition committee of the Legacy Museum of African American History.
Dr. Lewis’s love of travel and passion for the classroom have led her to undertake adventures around the globe. Her research interests focus on the linkages among new media, global politics, and policy.
Dr David Richards is chair of the political science program at the University of Lynchburg. The program offers majors and minors in political science, international relations, security studies, and intelligence studies.
Dr. Richards is a graduate of Kenyon College (BA in political science) and American University (master’s degree in American government, PhD in comparative politics). He regularly contributes commentary to Fox News, The Washington Post, US News and World Report, and other media outlets. He is regularly featured for political expertise on WSET 13 in Lynchburg.
He grew up on the Sweet Briar College campus and attended Virginia Episcopal School. He lives in Amherst with his wife and two sons. This fall marks his 18th year at the University of Lynchburg.
Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, Dr. Robinson grew up loving popular culture and followed that excitement through his academic career. Mike earned a PhD in American culture studies from Bowling Green State University, with a specialization in communication and popular culture.
Mike joined the communication studies department in 2000, and he has served as chair since 2016. His recent publications include articles in books on Doctor Who and an entry in the Routledge Handbook of Star Trek. This past spring, his sabbatical project investigated supervillains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is expected to be published in October.
Mike enjoys watching TV and movies with his wife, daughter, and son. As you might have guessed by now, he is a science fiction enthusiast and a huge comic book fan.