The Healing Has Begun... U.S. Senate Apologizes For Slavery
Today, we celebrate Juneteenth, a day commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery on June 19, 1865. Yesterday, after 144 years, the United States Senate apologized for slavery. With a unanimous vote, America has begun her healing process. For our country will never be able to heal itself without atoning for the sins of our past. We have finally recognized that in order for us to move forward as a people in this beautiful nation, we need to acknowledge the pain that we all have suffered because of slavery. The pain has lasted for the past 144 years, and now with our government taking the right step in apologizing, I know that we can begin to heal. The effects of slavery on our communities have been devastating. The devastation does not stop because of the apology; however these are words that we needed to hear. We all needed to hear. This was a day that many of us have dreamed about for our entire lives. This was a day that many who were at the forefront of this struggle could not enjoy because they are no longer with us. And for those heroes, I go to work every day to make sure that they are never forgotten.
With my newly appointed position as the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Permanent Memorial to the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, I vow to work on behalf of our young people to make sure that we never have to feel this sort of pain again. As we all know, slavery and human trafficking exist all around the world, at record numbers. We must remember the past, however we also must work to prevent our mistakes from happening again in the future. I will work even harder in my roles as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, and I urge you all to take a moment to recognize the importance of the actions of the United States Senate. Let the healing continue...
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I am curious to see if Mr. Simmons's next blog will be about Barack Obama's new found abilities to be a better President now that this apology has lifted a great weight off of his shoulders.
are you being serious?
No more than the election of President Obama has eradicated prejudice and racism in this country, as is evidenced by some of these posts. But were it that easy. People choose to believe what they believe and many times it's not always the truth.
It's grand that Congress has decided to apologize for slavery after 144 years, but the apology is a bit tardy. At least they acted ahead of the Catholic Church, which only took three and a half centuries to apologize to Galileo for imprisoning him when he dared to argue that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
The Catholic Church still hasn't given up it's 'right' to concur us and give away our land. Are you sure you wanted to go there?
TO HELL WITH AN APOLOGY WHERE'S MY MONEY ?
Its waiting for you -- on a frozen pond - IN HELL!
You got your money already, you live in the best country in the world. Don't like it, you are free to leave.
Why would i want to leave, it was the slaves that did the heavy lifting there are companies in america that made millions from the slave labor, these companies are still operating today, so why shouldn't the ancestors of slaves be paid for all the work their forefathers did for the slave masters and the current company owners these companies know full well they would not be the successful corporations that they are today were it not for the slaves that made them rich, it was legal in america to own and exploit africans simply because of the color of their skin, this was the pathetic mentality of the slave owners, and this mentality still exists today.
I WAS JUST ICE SKATING IN HELL YOU SHOULD TRY IT!!!
YOUR MONEY IS WAITING FOR YOU AT THE END OF A HARD DAYS WORK!!
sounds like simons is trying for reperations.
what about the child slavery and the slavery in this country? there is an est 20,000 slaves in the usa, mostly africans brought by other africans, phillipinos, arabs and a huge amount of mexicans. that is what he needs to deal with. i cant respect his while slavery is allowed to go on in this country.
As you know - none of the slavery currently taking place in the United States IS LEGAL nor is it SUPPORTED and PROTECTED by the US governnment.
That is the difference!
I agree it is not legal, but if you think it isn't SUPPORTED and PROTECTED by the US government, you are delusional.
It is evident that the majority of Ameircans, both black and white have no clue of the seriousness and the impact that enslavement had and is still having traumatically on African Americans. Before any one attempt to respond to this issue i hight recommend the reading of Dr. Joyce Degruy's Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, It is a scholarly work written with the intent of exposing the effects of the Enslavement that African's experienced and drawing serious and valid coerlation with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and more specifically Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. Lastly, we as a people have to realize that heaing doesnt require the acceptance of responsiblilty the perpertrator of a crime. We have to take it upon ourselve to begin the healing and not be so concerned about how "others feel" or if they buy into it. That in itself is a continuation of the effects of slavery. Mr. Simmons if you havent spoken with Dr. Degruy i highly recommend it, she is on the cutting edge on this issue and what we need to do collectively and individually to address this issue.
Excellent post.
Why does it have to be about a syndrome? It is about the reality of America's historical embrace of slavery in its Constitution, laws, values, and practice for hundreds of years.
Nice article. However, it's kind of ridiculous for the American government to apologize for slavery when they did not participate in it. Slaves were purchased by rich landowners who needed them for labor. Slaves were captured and sold by other Africans. The pain that African Americans feel is from prejudice that exists everywhere. Unfortunately, slavery still exists, as you point out. I'm glad to hear that you will be focusing your energies on that via the U.N.
You need a little education. Did you know that much of the debate between the Northern and Southern colonies over the founding of this nation revolved around Slavery. The US Supreme Court settled slavery cases on several occasions, and states had laws both in support and opposition to slavery, slave trading and slave catching. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington both American Presidents were also slave owners.
In many cases Africans did capture Africans for the slave trade in other cases it was kidnapping by Whites.
Prejudice that exists everywhere must be dealt with locally. BTW - Slavery is a little more than prejudice - Don't you thiink?
Sunny Day - please get a clue- From your comments - I get the feeling you are not from the United States is that correct?
Keerist!I am sick of hearing this eternal belly aching about slavery and Jim Crowism and all the other "isms"that have been concieved in the minds of persistant gripers.
Many years ago my mother came here from Poland and settled and lived out her life as the matriarch of a large family.Not once did I ever hear her complain about the slavery her ancesters lived through called Serfdom.
Not once did I ever hear her or her compatriots mention restitution from any government body for the sufferings of her ancestors.
For Keeris sake ,let it rest and let's get on with life.
It doesn't matter if you are tired of hearing about the belly aching. Plug your ears. The people who were affected by slavery and then subsequent discrimination care and that is what REALLY counts.
Your grandmother's reactions to serfdom in her own nation- is supposed to mean WHAT? to people who decided to fight their conditions. Some people lay down - others fight back.
Fighting back has produced tremendous gains for African Americans in this nation.
Listening to people like you - would have set the African American community back decades.
If your granny was a silent sufferer - power to her. Lots of other human beings are NOT silent sufferers so don't try to infect them with your grandmother's passivity.
The founders of this nation were really LOUD complainers and bellyachers to King George and the British Empire. Without those complainers and belly achers - you and granny would still be toiling in Poland.
In the 1600's, Cromwell sold 50,000 white Irish adults to the Sephardic Jewish slave traders of St. Kitts and Jamaica. A few years later, he sold 100,000 white Irish children to these same slave traders. At that time, there were more white Irish slaves in the Caribbean than English in colonial America. Arabs, African tribal chiefs, and Sephardic Jews conducted the black slave trade. There were some whites involved in the overseas shipping of the slaves. Later, in America, 87% of the slave owners in the South were Jewish, and 13% so-called Christians; note, however, the New Testament of the Christians forbade slavery. In any case, like the blacks, my white Irish ancestors in called "animals" and "monkeys" and "subhuman" and enslaved by the slave masters and plantation owners. Yet, the "white man" is totally blamed for slavery.
There is little point in pointing out the history and them coming to an untenable conclusion such as "the 'white man' is totally blamed for slavery", it becomes an extension of your own racial attitude, and typically, a racist reduction of Black people's concern in this matter.
Find one statement that blames 'the white man'.
We know that Europeans came to America as indentured servants in the 1600's, so that's nothing new. Some blacks came too as indentured servants, but the majority of them appeared here then as permanent slaves. The Irish, however, over time, were permitted to become "white," and even during the 1600's the servitude of the Irish was limited to 5 to 7 years in most cases. The slavery of the African in the United States lasted for 246 years, while Irish slavery was restricted to indentured servitude until the early 1700's when all indentured servitude suddenly gave way to the permanent slavery of black people. And that is when the Irish eagerly adopted "whiteness" to avoid slavery themselves, but the blacks couldn't become white, which simply meant, and still means, that the whites had (have) privileges that the blacks don't have access to. And many of you people posting here on this subject know you have these privileges, but you'd never admit it. Instead, you feel more comfortable pretending the slavery of your ancestors was comparable to the slavery of the African American. The truth is that if the Irish had been enslaved for 246 years, they'd scarcely exist in the United States today. Many of you are obviously clearly in denial.
The government did participant in the perpetuation of slavery. Those rich landowners were U.S, citizens living in states that were part of the Union. The government passed a number of Compromises to ensure that slavery flourished. How sad that so many ignorant folk have no problem demonstrating their lack of knowledge on this subject to satisfy their anger towards black folks even though they say that they had nothing to do with slavery. The issue is not with any of you, but rests with the U.S. government which is ongoing and is responsible for the actions of its citizens whether today or two hundred years ago.
Check your information, slavery was legal under the us constitution a black man was considered 3 fiths of a man under us law. the us government played a major role.
Ok, we'll talk reparations. But if we do then all race based programs have to go including all affirmative action programs..
You forgot to mention the hundred years of Jim Crow which was economic apartheid and the legacy of slavery so you are inaccurate in your analysis.
My good freind if you knew history you would know that it didnt stop there. African Americans suffered horrers even after that... lynchings, rapes being from off their on land I could on and on.. yes we do need reperation and more this country has purposely dienfranchies African American read your history my freind you can start by reading Douglas Blackmons Slavery byAnother name....
I agree pece.
But you do seem to conveniently ignore the current suffering of Americans at the hands of members of AA community including: high rates of hyper-criminality, high cost of welfare and affirmative action; destroyed and vandalized inner cities; destroyed urban schools, various riots etc. The coin always has two sides.
Then add on the next 100 plus years of violating the constitutional rights of Black US citizens in every area of American life -- that is where the damages REALLY piles up. That would mean actual damages and punitive damages. That would run into the trillions - even with the limitations you placed into your comments. Medical care, Educations, Employment & Labor, Criminal Justice, Business -
African Americans would actually benefit more from damages incurred from 1865 - 1965 than what they would gain from slavery. We are talking about US CITIZENS in a modern society.
I don't want reparations. I just want to be treated like a first-class citizen like the rest of America. I don't want to be able to teach your kid, but be followed around in an upscale store because the people who work there think I can't pay for the items they sell there. I don't want people still refusing to sit with me during faculty meetings because I don't look like them. I don't want to always be suspected, or accused, of being on welfare when I never have been. I don't want to be told I'm violent just because I happen to be black. I don't want people to conclude upon sight that I live in the ghetto (never have). I don't want people to think my mom and dad were not married, or that my dad ran out on the family because I'm black (mom and dad were married for 52 years & stayed together.) I don't want to be labeled as illegitimate because I'm black (mom and dad's names are on birth certificate as husband & wife.)
Would this be too much to ask for?
Happy juneteenth everyone. We are taking so many steps forward in the right direction. Freedom and justice against tyranny, injustice and blind profit.
There isn't anyone around who had anything to do with it. So, a group of people (the Congress) who had nothing to do with it have apologized on behalf of a group of people (living white Americans) who had nothing to do with it to a third group of people (living African Americans) who had nothing to do with it. What a wise and efficient use of time and resources.
Reparations for the decendants of slaves? The free ride crowd have become very creative.
From an Australian - you sound like our ex Prime Minister, John Howard. Ask our indigenous people how they feel about these issues? The day our Parliament said sorry, the feeling changed in our country. It will never be right, but we can work.
Nothing to do with it? The cultural issues that are passed down through the generations have everything to do with it.
So your ancestors are kidnapped from their land, taken by others to do their bidding, not even honoured with their own names. Their children are sold. They are damaged for life. Like a genetic disease, this is passed down through the generations. No vote, no voice for years. Fear, hurt, hatred and anger. And you think it has nothing to do with your country's issues now? Segregation, second class citizens - people still alive who remember the fight and cried rivers of tears when finally children who are the descendants of these people live in the White House.
Do you think it's right yet?
Thanks, and kudos to Australia for the new legislation granting members of the LBGT community full rights and privileges. You got it right.
My son recently completed a three year course at the University of New South Wales. While he was in Australia he was subjected to, as he describes it, an endless stream of racial abuse, at school, walking down the street, riding on the bus, in stores and restaurants, everywhere. On one occasion he had to defend his mother and sister (who went to attend his graduation) when a man tired to remove them from their seats on a bus. No one, not even the bus driver, did anything to help them.
So, what's changed? See to your own problems, and leave ours to us.
If you wait long enough for everyone to die without doing the right thing then one can make such a simplistic uninformed argument such as yours. But waiting for everyone connected with slavery to die does not absolve the U.S. from its actions. You failed to mention the 100 years of Jim Crow which many white folks who are still alive took great pleasure in being a part of. Those smiling young white folks in the 1960s beating black civil rights protesters are now in their 50s and 60s. Once again an uninformed opinion is brought forth full of bitterness and anger which is curious because no one is talking to you to begin with, its the U.S. government that is the focal point. If you want to indict yourself and white americans then that's on you. The fact is white american benefitted greatly from slavery and Jim Crow and you can jump up and all you want but the facts are the facts.
The article is about an apology for slavery- it makes no mention of Jim Crow or beatings, hence my comment is not about those things. I have expressed no bitterness or anger. I have indicted no one. I am not jumping up and down. Perhaps you would find a reading comprehension course helpful. And a valium.
I have failed, until now, to understand that this apology has made many folks feel better, and I'm all for that. I retract my criticism of it.
This is what Jesse Jackson would have dreamed about if he had a dream.
I find it ironic that as AMERICA is standing in quicksand on the edge of a debtor's abyss & is being further
enslaved with every $trillion the FED prints, that there is jubilation about about historic slavery.
This apology holds no water, and it costs nothing. When the Senate acknowledges and addresses the simple fact that Black citizens continue to be denied equal protection under the law, then we can contemplate progress being made. In the here and now. Apologize for leading this nation into war under false circumstances, then we might have the sense that the Senate lives in the here and now.
We need new Senators.
If any descendants of slaves genuinely believed that the enslavement of their ancestors was a net loss for themselves, then they would have moved to Africa – but they have not.
Clearly, those who have profited most from slavery are the descendants of slaves themselves.
Without getting into injustices after the Civil War, consider that the war to free the slaves was a net loss for America greater than all the wealth created by slave labor, and that part of that loss was the direct destruction of all the wealth created by slave labor.
The wealth created by slave labor no longer exists.
http://www
WOW...is that what the war was about? Because I could have sworn it was about preserving the union.
...and do you really believe that slavery ended after the civil war?
Just curious, what'd you get in US History?
your suggestions are asinine. there was a separatist movement and people did move to Africa. considering the history of providence in America and the ideals of freedom justice and equality I can justify framing a perspective that honors both America's monitary fidelity and moral infidelity as viewed from a reconciliatory perch. my question is why are so many people bent on spilling the same old rhetoric on the floor like a kid making fun of someone without an icecream and then losses his for the jesting. it bothers me because it is so automated almost like auto-suggestion just reactionary variety. it is exactly like asking for help from someone who will not give it. I don't know if it is your attitude, your biases your upbringing, your culture your blind eye your shame your routine your ideals, your apathy your frustration, your pathology, your psychology, your encouragement, your cynicism, your attempts at satire or what but yall from the I feel a need to emasculate you so I feel alright with my authority crowd really amaze me. This is America people the greatest country in the world what are you doing to add to the mosaic of actualization that is the American dream?
This is all leading to one thing and one thing only reparations, lets just do it and get it over with if it goes down like it was portrayed on Chappelle lol it will be good for the economy, we'll just be paying out money we dont have anyway just print it and cut the checks.
I am sorry but I do not see any good that this apology of political expediency is going to do to anyone? It is yet another opportunity for grandstanding by the U.S. Congress, an opportunity for the men and women of the Capitol to boast that they were the ones that apologized for slavery, 144 years after its abortion in America.
Beyond this apology, what else is Congress proposing to heal the grave injustices of slavery? Again, when talking of slavery, the emphasis is often on those people that arrived in America and the devastation that slavery caused to Africa is often overlooked.
Families were torn apart, communities obliterated, kingdoms taken down. Slavery did not bring to America from Africa fragile old men and women. NO! They deliberately enslaved the most powerful, most productive, intelligent African men and women in their prime.
What the slave masters left behind was a trail of destruction that no one, up to this day, had ever taken responsibility of. A few years ago, Africa was calling for reparation to be paid for the evil of slavery. Most people were putting forward ridiculous amounts of money.
I say no to that. Not with the greed of African leaders and the corruption that permeate societies. And you can’t actuallly put a figure on the cost of slavery. However those who are truly sorry should also go to Africa to build schools, hospitals and infrustructure. That is far better than mere words of apology
http://afp
we, as a species, are reprehensi
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