Activist Fights For Formal Slavery Apology From State Of Delaware
By David Madden
WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) -- There's another call for the State of Delaware to issue a formal apology for slavery.
This is the third time that Harmon Carey, who heads up the Afro-American Historical Society in Wilmington, has asked Gov. Jack Markell for that apology. The first two, he says, were ignored by the governor.
But given last month's slaying of nine black church members at a South Carolina prayer meeting, allegedly at the hands of a white man, Carey is hoping for a different outcome this time.
"I thought that one way for us to respond -- 'us' meaning Delawareans -- was for our governor to issue an official apology for slavery."
A spokeswoman for the governor says in an e-mail that her boss is "open to having discussions about the request for a proclamation on slavery."
Carey says he is "cautiously optimistic" that some official action may come about this time.