Obama calls founders geniuses but notes slavery flaw

Former President Barack Obama has ignited a national conversation about America's founding principles, describing the nation's founders as "geniuses" with a "profound, deep flaw" for their ties to slavery. His remarks, made in a televised interview on Sunday, June 28, come as the country prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this week.

In the interview, Obama argued for a nuanced understanding of history, stating that admiration for the founders and acknowledgment of their moral failings are not mutually exclusive. He used George Washington as a specific example, noting it is possible to be a great admirer of the first president while also acknowledging he was a slaveholder. Obama described the founders as a "mixed bag" who embodied the nation's own contradictions, a complexity he suggested can deepen one's love for the country.

These comments echo themes from a speech he delivered earlier this month at the opening ceremony for his presidential center in Chicago. On that occasion, he stated that the founders "fell terribly short of the Declaration's promise" by leaving slavery intact and restricting voting rights. However, he also credited...