Taking Responsibility

I love Disney. I grew up during Disney's animation renaissance; The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin... I don't think any other film house can claim such an impressive string of hits. And we're not even talking about Disney's golden age; Snow White, Cinderella, Bambi, Fantasia, The Jungle Book, Dumbo....
Let's look at those last two.
While The Jungle Book and Dumbo are undoubtedly classics, they, like many other films of their time, have the unfortunate position of being racially insensitive. What? You don't remember.



King Louie is basically a black guy. He speaks jive and sings jazz. He "wants to be human." Come on.
Still not convinced?
How about Dumbo?



Get the hell outta here! I mean, the leader's name is Jim! Jim Crow!
And it's not just blacks who were misrepresented by the big ears. Heres a more recent clip from The Aristocrats.



Now do you realize why they don't show these on ABC Family?
I know Disney isn't the only culprit here. There's a whole slew of racist characters portrayed by mainstream and beloved companies. Bugs Bunny. The Spirit. Don't dig too far into their back catalogue if this stuff bothers you.
I bring up Disney because, well, I really like Disney. I believe Walt's story is one of the greatest in American history. Disney is responsible for generations of imaginative and creative individuals.
So, how do we deal with this?
It's time for Disney to accept responsibility. I'm not looking for anybody's head, here. I don't think that anyone working there now should feel guilty about a past they didn't participate in. But how awesome would it be for Disney to step up to the plate here, and use this as a learning tool?
Here's what I suggest: Re-release these movies on DVD and Blu-ray. The default version should be an edited cut, with the inappropriate characters edited or removed. But I don't believe in altering the past, pretending what happened didn't happen (I'm looking at you Lucas). So put the original cut on there as a special feature.
But don't stop there. Include a 30 minute round table discussion. Have an exec there (Bob Iger) and a few professors or historians who are experts on racial and cultural issues. Add a younger celebrity, too (Raven Simone).
Disney should own the situation. Put the stigma behind them. Let's celebrate the art, but better understand the context.