The recent wave of statues, building names, and other monuments memorializing figures like Christopher Columbus and Confederate generals being removed from public spaces and college campuses has brought the reassessment of historical figures to the fore. It has raised questions about whom we choose to venerate; how historical narratives form; and whether it is best to erase problematic figures from the historical record, present a new interpretation on them, or attempt to be as unbiased as possible by contemporary attitudes when regarding them. Readers will learn more about this timely and complicated issue through a wide range of perspectives.

The problem with presentism is that it blurs our understanding of the past / Lynn Hunt -- Why judging past actions is wrong / G.E. Moore -- Viewing history through the lens of ethics can help make better citizens / Marshall Tamuka Maposa -- Our position in the present always affects how we see the past / Sarah Godsell -- Malcolm X's enduring legacy / Salim Muwakkil -- Reexamining historical figures through social media / Clarissa Lee -- Is the past to blame for limiting who we celebrate as historical figures? / Ama Biney -- Presentism helps women reclaim recognition for their work / Stéphanie Thomson -- Historical narratives offer a skewed view of the past that presentism can fix / David A. Tomar -- Reexamining women in history creates a more nuanced perspective / Nancy A. Hewitt -- Reexamining the past helps us bring representation to a wider audience / Ray Filar -- The problem with dishonoring Christopher Columbus / Gerald Korson -- Should we celebrate Christopher Columbus? / Evelyn Red Lodge -- Patrice Lumumba: revisiting a complex past event through a historical figure / Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja -- Ronald Reagan's legacy: fighting for a united Republican party / L. John Van Til -- Why Ronald Reagan's legacy should be revisited / Jeralyn Merritt -- Organizations to contact.