Black hero is a first for Disney

After more than 60 years of making cartoons, Disney has introduced its first black animated character.

Dr Joshua Sweet, one of the heroes of Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire, is a member of the team searching for the undersea city of Atlantis.

Black actors, among them Eddie Murphy and Whoopi Goldberg, have provided the voices of leading characters in many Disney features but he will be the first black human to appear on screen.

It is the culmination of a long-running image make-over for the studio, which has struggled to shake off allegations of racism and imperialism in its films.

Dr Sweet, drawn by Disney's veteran black animator Ron Husband, will be voiced by Phil Morris, best known as Jackie Chiles in TV comedy Seinfeld.

'My memory banks are filled with Disney but I was not really aware the character was breaking the door in,' said Morris.

'But Ron kept saying stuff to me like, "I'm very happy to be working with you? and I finally asked him, "Is this unique? Is it the first time?? He said "yes?.'

Husband added: 'I wouldn't have been as thrilled if this were something just tacked on. We're in the storytelling business. We're not trying to make a point.'

It has yet to be seen if the character will end criticism of Disney, which over the years has managed to offend most of America's ethnic groups.

Villainous characters in Aladdin and Father of the Bride II upset the Arab community and native Americans were infuriated by the politically correct but historically flawed Pocahontas.