James Madison's Montpelier We The People Spring 2017 Montpelier_WTP_Spring2017_FINAL-1-web | Page 18

WE THE PEOPLE
The Whole Truth
A candid interview with patriotic philanthropist David M. Rubenstein
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Why is it important to tell a more complete American story
that includes an honest representation of slavery? Why have you invested in African American history at sites
like this and the Smithsonian?
In my view slavery was a tragic flaw in our
Constitution and the way the country was initially
established. And it obviously affected so much
of the country and still is affecting the country in
many ways. I think if you try to portray history
without portraying the impact of slavery on
American history, you’re not really giving people
an adequate representation of it. If you’re really
going to learn the history of this country, the good
and the bad, you have to learn about the history
of slavery. I have made investments in many projects designed
to let people know more about American history. In
those projects where there is a connection to slavery,
I just want to make sure that Americans recognize
that slavery was part of the institution when it was
created. It’s not a laser focus on investing in things
related to slavery, but when places I support have a
connection to slavery I want to make sure that people
understand it so they can fully grasp what people
lived like in those times and what the impact was on
our society.