Hannah-Jones: ‘You Can’t Have Reconciliation Until You Reconcile with the Past’

SCARBOROUGH And that s ░░░░░░░░ is so important You ░░░░░░░░ about the defining tensions ░░░░░░░░ s why you hear ░░░░░░░░ debates and it s ░░░░░░░░ or it s right ░░░░░░░░ We talk about dialectical ░░░░░░░░ on this show Two ░░░░░░░░ can be true at ░░░░░░░░ same time And I ░░░░░░░░ last year we were ░░░░░░░░ to Annette Gordon Reed ░░░░░░░░ I said How do ░░░░░░░░ get past Thomas Jefferson ░░░░░░░░ do you get past ░░░░░░░░ horrible things he did ░░░░░░░░ his life and at ░░░░░░░░ same time producing documents ░░░░░░░░ freed more people than ░░░░░░░░ else She said well ░░░░░░░░ s what you want ░░░░░░░░ your leader We can ░░░░░░░░ two separate truths in ░░░░░░░░ mind at the same ░░░░░░░░ 1776 and 1619 and ░░░░░░░░ you said synthesize them ░░░░░░░░ figure out what we ░░░░░░░░ and have that open ░░░░░░░░ It s exhilarating it ░░░░░░░░ supposed to be what ░░░░░░░░ is about HANNAH JONES ░░░░░░░░ course I mean look ░░░░░░░░ daughter used to always ░░░░░░░░ me Is this person ░░░░░░░░ or bad mama And ░░░░░░░░ would have to tell ░░░░░░░░ most people can do ░░░░░░░░ great things and most ░░░░░░░░ are capable of doing ░░░░░░░░ thing And we can ░░░░░░░░ think of history as ░░░░░░░░ good or all bad ░░░░░░░░ we can t think ░░░░░░░░ our Founders or any ░░░░░░░░ person as all good ░░░░░░░░ all bad Thomas Jefferson ░░░░░░░░ down some majestic ideals ░░░░░░░░ failed to live up ░░░░░░░░ them And what we ░░░░░░░░ is that black Americans ░░░░░░░░ those majestic ideals ideals ░░░░░░░░ and they said We ░░░░░░░░ fight to make those ░░░░░░░░ That s a narrative ░░░░░░░░ think that we can ░░░░░░░░ be proud of And ░░░░░░░░ have to be able ░░░░░░░░ teach our children and ░░░░░░░░ a complicated history about ░░░░░░░░ complicated nation And I ░░░░░░░░ think the belief that ░░░░░░░░ we are more honest ░░░░░░░░ our history if we ░░░░░░░░ more honest about some ░░░░░░░░ the really terrible things ░░░░░░░░ have happened in this ░░░░░░░░ that it will somehow ░░░░░░░░ the fabric of our ░░░░░░░░ But I actually think ░░░░░░░░ you can t have ░░░░░░░░ until you reconcile with ░░░░░░░░ past And once we ░░░░░░░░ honest about our history ░░░░░░░░ think that s when ░░░░░░░░ can start to move ░░░░░░░░ and repair.”