The statue version of history omits flaws. This view perpetuates a false belief that the great men and women of history had relatively little existence outside of the great acts for which they are known. The story of the university that wanted to remove a Lincoln statue because the Great Emancipator once said he would allow slavery to continue if it would preserve the Union tells us as much. Our society is waking up to the idea that great figures of history can be mixed. Not all aspects of their lives are “statue-worthy.”

This episode originally aired on January 17, 2018.