House Issues Formal Apology For Slavery

The House on Tuesday issued an unprecedented apology to black Americans for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow segregation laws.

"Today represents a milestone in our nation's efforts to remedy the ills of our past," said Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The resolution, passed by voice vote, was the work of Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen, the only white lawmaker to represent a majority black district. Cohen faces a formidable black challenger in a primary face-off next week.

Congress has issued apologies before - to Japanese-Americans for their internment during World War II and to native Hawaiians for the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom in 1893. In 2005, the Senate apologized for failing to pass anti-lynching laws.

Five states have issued apologies for slavery, but past proposals in Congress have stalled, partly over concerns that an apology would lead to demands for reparations - payment for damages.

The Cohen resolution does not mention reparations. It does commit the House to rectifying "the lingering consequences of the misdeeds committed against African-Americans under slavery and Jim Crow."

It says that Africans forced into slavery "were brutalized, humiliated, dehumanized and subjected to the indignity of being stripped of their names and heritage" and that black Americans today continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow laws that fostered discrimination and segregation.

The House "apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow."

"Slavery and Jim Crow are stains upon what is the greatest nation on the face of the earth," Cohen said. Part of forming a more perfect union, he said, "is such a resolution as we have before us today where we face up to our mistakes and apologize as anyone should apologize for things that were done in the past that were wrong."

Cohen became the first white to represent the 60 percent black district in Memphis in more than three decades when he captured a 2006 primary where a dozen black candidates split the vote. He has sought to reach out to his black constituents, and early in his term showed interest in joining the Congressional Black Caucus until learning that was against caucus rules.

Another of his first acts as a freshman congressman in early 2007 was to introduce the slavery apology resolution. His office said that the House resolution was brought to the floor only after learning that the Senate would be unable to join in a joint resolution.

More than a dozen of the 42 Congressional Black Caucus members in the House were original co-sponsors of the measure. The caucus has not endorsed either Cohen or his chief rival, attorney Nikki Tinker, in the Memphis primary, although Cohen is backed by several senior members, including Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. Tinker is the former campaign manager of Harold Ford, Jr., who held Cohen's seat until he stepped down in an unsuccessful run for the Senate in 2006.

[qstorm77]

txgrouch2006 wrote
"There''s that victim complex showing.
Thanks for proving my point, warrior."

It''s only a complex in your own mind, not mine. I suppose you know the inner workings of my mind better than I do though. My bad. :-) I''ve witnessed no proof of your point.

[txgrouch2006]

Self-pity is the most common excuse for anti-social behavior.

Self-pity usually means believing oneself to be a victim of injustice.

That''s what''s been going on in the Middle East for thousands of years. One side retaliates for the other side retaliating for the other side retaliating for the other side... it goes on forever, and nobody can even remember what the original injustice was. Or if there really WAS an injustice, or is it really just a challenge for territory.

My vote is, it''s all just a shameless challenge for territory.

[txgrouch2006]

QStorm77 wrote
I''''d hate to be tased to death for not getting out of squad car fast enough for an officer who arrested me without cause.
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There''s that victim complex showing.

Thanks for proving my point, warrior.

[qstorm77]

txgrouch2006 wrote
"Are you challenging me? Do you want me to call a cop?
JUST KIDDING! No I''m not. KIDDING, JUST KIDDING!!!
Or, AM I???"

I do what needs to be done as long as it''s legal. No need to call a cop though. I''d hate to be tased to death for not getting out of squad car fast enough for an officer who arrested me without cause.

I''m NOT kidding.

[txgrouch2006]

QStorm77 wrote
Blacks who have a work ethic are the RULE, not the EXCEPTION.
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Are you challenging me? Do you want me to call a cop?

JUST KIDDING! No I''m not. KIDDING, JUST KIDDING!!!

Or, AM I???

[qstorm77]

txgrouch2006 wrote
"There are exceptions to every rule. But they''''re still the EXCEPTION, not the RULE."

Indeed. In regard to what we''re talking about and in my experience, however, Blacks who have a work ethic are the RULE, not the EXCEPTION.

[txgrouch2006]

EVERY RACE PRACTICES RACISM. If you know members of ANY non-white race, you know it''s true. They talk racist talk all the time, when no whites are around.

The thing that''s different about whites is, Caucasians are the ONLY race that can be persuaded that THERE''S SOMETHING WRONG with it when THEY do the same thing all other races do.

And the other races LAUGH BEHIND OUR BACKS at how easily they can take advantage of Caucasians because of their overactive "guilt and shame" reflex.

Whites are the ONLY race that has been taught there''s anything wrong with being a racist bigot.

[txgrouch2006]

QStorm77 wrote
Again, just because what YOU''''VE experienced leads you to believe we just have a "fight ethic" doesn''''t make it so for all Blacks.
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There are exceptions to every rule. But they''re still the EXCEPTION, not the RULE.

[qstorm77]

txgrouch2006, I''ll be the first to admit that what liberty_1776 wrote about there being shootings, drug dealers, unemployed people & single people in the Black community. However, there are also MANY Blacks who don''t do & aren''t any of those things. The majority aren''t what you hear about on the news because, as much as you or liberty may want to deny it, the media focuses on the negative elements of Black culture in the U.S. Whites, Asians, Indians, people of Middle Eastern descent & every other ethnic group contain people who shoot each other, deal drugs, don''t have jobs & aren''t married too. These are HUMAN issues, not things specific to Blacks. It''s also not accurate to say that Black students refuse to learn because that sounds all-encompassing. I didn''t refuse to learn & know thousands of others who have earned undergrad, grad & doctorate degrees, a fact which refutes your seemingly generalized comment. Black culture most definitely does have a work ethic. Again, just because what YOU''VE experienced leads you to believe we just have a "fight ethic" doesn''t make it so for all Blacks. By your own admission Black culture is "is so different, whites have no idea how to comprenend it." How then can you speak as if you''re an expert? The statement that there will be blood in the streets when Obama becomes president is outrageous & dramatic.

[txgrouch2006]

Concerns47 wrote
Don;t you think the American Indians need the apology more
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Good point! Let''s add them to the list.

So, let''s see now. Congress owes an apology to:

American Indians
Women
Men
Blacks
Whites
Chinese
Japanese
Irish
Italians
Mexicans
Workers
Children
The elderly
Homosexuals

Basically, everybody EXCEPT straight wealthy white men.

And furthermore, WE ALL DEMAND REPARATIONS!!!

Unfortunately, the straight wealthy white men STILL seem to have total control over this country. So unless it''s helping some white guy in a futile attempt to keep an elected post, NO APOLOGY WILL BE FORTHCOMING...