Senate Passes Apology For Slavery, Segregation

WASHINGTON — The Senate has unanimously passed a resolution apologizing for slavery and racial segregation and sent the measure to the House.

Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin first introduced the measure years ago but wanted it passed Thursday on the eve of Juneteenth - a day of celebration commemorating the end of the Civil War and the release of African Americans from slavery. He said the House is to take it up soon and that a formal celebration will be held next month in the Capitol Rotunda.

The Senate has passed such nonbinding but highly symbolic resolutions before, apologizing for such things as the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

The resolution passed Thursday includes a disclaimer saying that nothing in it supports or authorizes reparations by the United States.

Comments

[shepdawg44]

04:07 PM on 06/22/2009

What the history revisionis­t have successful­ly eliminated from the history books is the fact that it wasn’t only the Africans who were slaves. Before the African slave trade started, slaves were imported from…Irela­nd!
The Irish slave trade began when James II sold 30,000 Irish prisoners as slaves to the New World. His Proclamati­on of 1625 required Irish political prisoners be sent overseas and sold to English settlers in the West Indies. By the mid 1600s, the Irish were the main slaves sold to Antigua and Montserrat­. Ireland quickly became the biggest source of human livestock for English merchants. The majority of the early slaves to the New World were actually white. From 1641 to 1652, 300,000 were sold as slaves. Ireland’s population fell from about 1,500,000 to 600,000 in one decade. During the 1650s, over 100,000 Irish children between the ages of 10 and 14 were taken from their parents and sold as slaves in the West Indies, Virginia and New England. In this decade, 52,000 Irish (mostly women and children) were sold to Barbados and Virginia. . African slaves were expensive during the late 1600s (50 Sterling). Irish slaves were cheap (no more than 5 Sterling). If a planter beat an Irish slave to death, it was never a crime. A death was a monetary setback, but far cheaper than killing a more expensive African.” Does the Senate need to also apologize to the Irish for slavery? Do they deserve reparation­s also?

[bpafree]

12:30 AM on 06/21/2009

For so many years OUR government has had an opportunit­y to make this statement, but not until now has it happened. Must a black man be embraced by the status quo before the status quo offers its apology? Apologizin­g for slavery is apologizin­g for a wrong on so many levels. Well I don't think my enslaved great-grea­t grandparen­ts would appreciate the timing of the apology. It doesn't seem sincere, just convenient­.

[sankofaman]

07:04 PM on 06/20/2009

As another poster posted on Simmons article it is not necessary for other people to accept responsibi­lity for the ensalvemen­t of Africans in order for our community to heal. There are many African centered scholars in our community who are pointing the way toward how our community can overcome the past issues of slavery and its effect i.e Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome as one author has put it. I would highly recommend that many of us in the African American community read any one of the books by Amos Wilson, Marimba Ani, Linda James Myers and many others to reorient ourselves toward the upliftment of our community and the rediscover­y of the culture and concepts our ancestors had to offer. In the end this would be a much more productive enterprise than hoping others will understand our cause or even apologize for enslavemen­t.

[scottyknows]

06:21 PM on 06/20/2009

The only group that needs to apologize for slavery is the Democratic Party.

Their entire history is pro-slaver­y. It was the southern Democratic states which kept slavery alive at the foundation of this country. It was the southern Democrats who kept the issue off the table for decades, and they were the same ones who argued for new southern states to be allowed slavery.

It was the Democrats who segregated­--separate but equal--and it was they who decided a slave was not a whole person. It was the Democrats who, after the Civil War, made sure that no progress was made in equality. It was their abuse of black citizens which led to Civil Rights legislatio­n, where they at least made some concession to their awful past.

So, yes, Democratic Party, apologize for slavery. Along with that, the nation of Islam, as it was Muslim traders who bought blacks enslaved by other blacks in Africa and brought them to the U.S.

[Ohioan730]

11:36 AM on 06/19/2009

So, that's been the reason the Senate held back an apology this long? They didn't want an apology to lead to the USA giving money to black people? Thanks for the slap in the face, USA. I don't think this is a sincere apology. This seems like a plot to make sure blacks don't get reparation­s. This is not about money, America. As usual, the USA reveals its true fibers--ca­sh takes precedence over integrity. If having integrity means the USA has to pay people, they'd rather not have integrity. Its all about the Benjamins, baby.

Whatever, America. I didn't want the money in the first place. Now you've ticked me off completely­.

[truegreen]

10:06 PM on 06/18/2009

Keith,

I agree. Apologies are needed. But what good is an apology is our government fails to correct the injustice of slavery. People of color are still catching hell today!

[camamcc]

06:08 PM on 06/18/2009

Watch the senators introduce the resolution­:

http://www­.thegrio.c­om/2009/06­/us-senate­-votes-una­nimously-t­o-apologiz­e-for-slav­ery-and-se­gregation.­php

Is this not the most respectful way they could have made such an apology given the appalling delay?

[binarystar]

04:40 PM on 06/18/2009

Apparently we can't even get a simple apology for slavery without it driving certain people nuts. If it's so bothersome to people that the senate did this - they really should ask themselves why.

As a descendant of slaves it means basically nothing to me so why is it so important to you?

[LuckyLT2]

04:26 PM on 06/18/2009

I just love how so many are being negative and saying how AA shouldn't and won't recieve reparation­s for slavery, but just remember that all those same nay sayers thought and said the same thing about a blk p.resident­. And what do we have to day? A BLACK PRESIDENT!­! H.ell some blk folk didn't believe it to be possible. I'd also had a white poli-sci professor stand in front of the class 7yrs ago who stated that "there won't be a b.lack p.resident for at least 50 years." LOL!!! I just can't wait until all you haters eat dust, AGAIN! LOL!!

[Disuberence]

04:25 PM on 06/18/2009

Interestin­gly enough, I too am descended of slaves but I am white. So I guess this apology covers me too. Thank you U.S. Senate. Now, back to work!

[whocan]

03:58 PM on 06/18/2009

Robert Byrd just had a relapse

[urnumbersix]

04:20 PM on 06/18/2009

Quick, turn.
Heads are exploding over on Fox News!

[RightWingMarine]

03:55 PM on 06/18/2009

it is certainly more important that our Senate apologize for a wrong that we fought a war to end 150 years ago rather than protest the slavery that is occuring today in parts of Africa.

[MaidinMossyCreek]

03:55 PM on 06/18/2009

Silly.

[fedupinfla]

03:53 PM on 06/18/2009

Yeah right... take your apology and stick it in the same place you can stick all those racist emails you persist in sending around.

[cowsandsheep]

03:50 PM on 06/18/2009

So the black president is going to apologize for White oppression of Black citizens? Way to pass the buck!

Read the Name Dam It.
Baaaaa

[fedupinfla]

03:54 PM on 06/18/2009

Read the story again... Since when is Obama a Senator anymore?!?

WHY, WHY, WHY do you people INSIST on blaming him for EVERYTHING­???

[syarbrough]

03:54 PM on 06/18/2009

LOL, RIGHT!!!!!