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by Martha Blanding (Author), Tim O'Day (Author)
An empowering and moving story of a young woman from South Central Los Angeles (Watts and Compton) who took a chance, defied the odds, and became the first-ever Black American to achieve a half-century-long career with The Walt Disney Company.
Disneyland was groundbreaking when it opened in 1955 and continues to possess a legacy of being a trend setter in both the world of themed, immersive, entertainment and workplace culture, experiences, and training. Although change was inevitable it didn't always come easy.Here is the incredible story of a young woman from South Central Los Angeles (Watts and Compton) who took a chance, defied the odds, and became the first-ever Black American to achieve a half-century-long career with The Walt Disney Company.
When Martha Blanding started working at Disneyland Park in 1971, it was already a wildly successful and internationally beloved travel destination that had welcomed more than 100 million guests. This book is a personal journey through fifty years of Disneyland as told like never before . . . through the eyes and perspective of a successful Black woman who was indeed an example of Groundbreaking Magic.
This book tells how a twenty-year-old college student came to work in Walt Disney's original theme park during the racially charged era of the early 1970s, starting as the park's first Black tour guide and eventually overseeing multi-million dollar generating merchandise-based events, many featuring globally acclaimed artists and celebrities. Martha also had a unique vantage point as she saw how societal changes impacted and changed Disneyland while she helped make much of that change possible.
In addition to all the Disney pixie dust, an incredibly loving, resilient, and close American family is at the heart of this book. With her bedrock parents who had joined the Great Migration out of the Deep South, her family witnessed firsthand some of our country's most shameful events while never faltering in their faith or pride in being Black Americans.
Part memoir and part cultural history, Groundbreaking Magic is sweet, insightful, sometimes blunt, occasionally heartbreaking, and often funny and surprising, providing the first-ever account of Disney history as seen through the eyes of "Martha B."
Author Biography
MARTHA BLANDING began her extraordinary run with Disney in May 1971 as Disneyland's first-ever Black Tour Guide, launching an impressive five-decades-long career at "The Happiest Place on Earth" in Anaheim, California. She was promoted to VIP Tour Hostess in less than a year, touring legendary entertainment notables and numerous domestic and international dignitaries. Martha soon became the first-ever Black female in management at Disneyland, eventually becoming the Senior Manager of Disneyland Resort Merchandise Special Events, where she worked with world-renowned artisans, celebrities, and Disney Legends. Along the way, she helped pioneer and produce the Official Disneyana Convention, a forerunner of today's D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Experience. She co-founded PULSE, a Business Employee Resource Group (BERG) for Black cast members and employees. Upon her retirement in 2022, Martha became the first-ever Black employee to achieve a half-century-long career with The Walt Disney Company and was named a Disney Legend in 2024.
TIM O'DAY is an award-winning public relations executive, best-selling author, ideation consultant, and event producer. His creative spark was behind creating an Olympic-sized lap pool down Main Street USA at Disneyland for U.S. Olympian swimmers, procuring a Disneyland star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, placing "Dumbo" in the Smithsonian, and having the pardoned White House Thanksgiving turkeys retire to the Disney Parks (among the most successful PR stunts in Disney history), in addition to helping establish D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. He also helped secure the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush for the legendary Sherman brothers. His career has included work and projects with the Museum of Science + Industry Chicago, Pasadena Tournament of Roses, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, PIER 39 of San Francisco, and others. He is currently seen on the popular Disney+ series "Behind the Attraction," produced by Dwayne Johnson.
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