Most 6-year-olds do not really think much about how they’re going to pay for college. They’re not all that interested in an investment portfolio. Even their parents’ current expenses are far, far from their minds, unless there’s no food on the table or they can’t get a toy they want. That’s why we think Barbra Streisand’s recent gift to Gianna Floyd, following the death of her father, is absolutely brilliant: stock in Disney.
“Thank You @barbrastreisand for my package,” reads a caption from Gianna Floyd’s new Instagram page. “I am now a Disney Stockholder thanks to you.”
Gianna holds up a letter and stock certificates for the photos. Does she know how the stock market works? Not likely, but this is a darn good way of learning. Does she know that stocks are volatile at the moment due to economic uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic? Doubt it. Is she able to grasp that even with that volatility, Disney stock prices have gone up about 270 percent in the past 10 years, so Streisand’s gift might be worth two or three times its current amount when she’s a teenager? I hope so.
But here’s the thing a child Gianna’s age definitely appreciate: She now owns a piece of the company that makes Frozen and Toy Story and Star Wars and Doc McStuffins and Mickey Mouse. (Just for now, let’s not tell her about Song of the South, shall we?) She is a part of something that makes girls and boys like her happy. After becoming a symbol of grief, unfairness, and hope for systemic change, she deserves to have that too.
If Gianna and her mom aren’t already Streisand fans — who knows? — they have a chance to become so now. The legendary singer also gave Gianna two signed albums for them to enjoy.
As we said when Gianna received a full scholarship to Texas Southern University, a 529 plan from Kanye West, and millions in her GoFundMe, absolutely none of this is bringing back her father. We sometimes wonder if the donations are doing more to comfort those giving her money than they are for her. But here is something important to remember: George Floyd was working hard in Minneapolis to provide for his youngest girl, and now he’s gone. If these funds take some worry off of Roxie Washington’s mind about her daughter’s future, they’re helping her more than we can imagine.
We can’t wait to see Gianna become the hero of her own story, just like the girls in these children’s books.
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