Obama Criticizes Founders' Slavery Record Before America's 250th Anniversary
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 29
Obama Criticizes Founders' Slavery Record Before America's 250th Anniversary
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 29
Summary
Barack Obama said the Founding Fathers had a "profound deep flaw" because many were slaveholders, while still calling them "geniuses" who created tools for later generations to improve the union.
Sunday's remarks to MSNOW came days before the United States marks its 250th birthday, with Obama using the milestone to warn about the country's contradictions and the state of American democracy.
Chicago framed the message: Obama tied it to the recent opening of his presidential center, where he similarly said the founders left slavery intact even as they built a constitutional framework for change.
The center—opened earlier this month on Chicago's South Side as a museum, library branch and community hub—has become a platform for Obama's renewed public appearances and legacy-building.
Can a presidential center built for unity help a community concerned about its own future?
As America re-examines its founders, what new traditions will define its future celebrations?
How will the first all-digital presidential library change public access to history?
Divided at 250: How America’s Semiquincentennial Exposes the Nation’s Ongoing Struggle With Its Founding Legacy
Overview
As America nears its 250th anniversary in July 2026, the nation faces deep political divisions over how to remember its past and shape its future. Former President Barack Obama, in a major speech at the Obama Presidential Center, called for an inclusive vision and described the center as a vibrant, living celebration of community. These themes echo his long-standing focus on the ongoing work America must do. The semiquincentennial celebrations highlight competing visions for the country, with different leaders and groups emphasizing either unity and progress or more traditional, triumphalist narratives.