Hannah-Jones: Thomas Jefferson ‘Failed to Live up to His’ Majestic Ideals

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 creating documents ░░░░░░░░ freed more people than ░░░░░░░░ else And she said ░░░░░░░░ that s what you ░░░░░░░░ from your leader We ░░░░░░░░ hold two separate truths ░░░░░░░░ our mind at the ░░░░░░░░ time 1776 and 1619 ░░░░░░░░ like you said synthesize ░░░░░░░░ and figure out what ░░░░░░░░ believe and have that ░░░░░░░░ debate It s exhilarating ░░░░░░░░ is supposed to be ░░░░░░░░ America is about HANNAH ░░░░░░░░ Of course I mean ░░░░░░░░ my daughter used to ░░░░░░░░ ask me is this ░░░░░░░░ good or bad mama ░░░░░░░░ I would have to ░░░░░░░░ her most people can ░░░░░░░░ really great things and ░░░░░░░░ people are capable of ░░░░░░░░ bad thing and we ░░░░░░░░ t think of history ░░░░░░░░ all good or all ░░░░░░░░ and we can t ░░░░░░░░ about our founders or ░░░░░░░░ one person as all ░░░░░░░░ or all bad Thomas ░░░░░░░░ wrote down some majestic ░░░░░░░░ He failed to live ░░░░░░░░ to them And what ░░░░░░░░ argue is that black ░░░░░░░░ read those majestic ideals ░░░░░░░░ matter and they said ░░░░░░░░ re going to fight ░░░░░░░░ make those true That ░░░░░░░░ a narrative I think ░░░░░░░░ can all be proud ░░░░░░░░ And we have to ░░░░░░░░ able to teach our ░░░░░░░░ and ourselves a complicated ░░░░░░░░ about a complicated nation ░░░░░░░░ I just think the ░░░░░░░░ that if we are ░░░░░░░░ honest about our history ░░░░░░░░ we are more honest ░░░░░░░░ some of the really ░░░░░░░░ things that have happened ░░░░░░░░ this country that it ░░░░░░░░ somehow destroy the fabric ░░░░░░░░ our country But I ░░░░░░░░ think that you can ░░░░░░░░ have reconciliation until you ░░░░░░░░ with the past And ░░░░░░░░ we are honest about ░░░░░░░░ history I think that ░░░░░░░░ when we can start ░░░░░░░░ move forward and repair.”