I think we need ti keep in mind that yes they may have done something wrong, sometimes terribly wrong, but they are human, and as you say we must consider they were product of their times.
If we banned everything from anyone who ever did something wrong, they'd be not much left. Jefferson and Washington owned slaves, MLK cheated on his wife, Gandhi was apparently a shitty father & was racist to South African blacks. These people did great things, but were not gods.
Maybe we could stop looking for perfect heroes,
And just celebrate heroics.
Heroic acts and great talents are miracles in themselves.