In a recent report from Star Wars News Net, a fan site who consistently reports scoops on all things Star Wars related, claims that Disney was trepidatious about including non-white characters prominently in The Force Awakens.
For the most part, the world of Star Wars fans at large seem to be very happy with what J.J. Abrams was able to do with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Disney gave Abrams a lot of trust with The Force Awakens, letting him have a lot of creative control and say over the entire process.
He worked closely with George Lucas on all three of the prequel movies, and was a concept artist on The Force Awakens.