Yesterday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution apologizing for two and a half centuries of slavery in America. When I read the news, my first thought was – wait, they hadn’t done that yet? The House passed its own version of an apology last year. The Senate version states that the resolution cannot be used in support of claims for reparations.
Others will disagree, but I am underwhelmed by an official congressional apology. It’s important for Americans to own our history and acknowledge that our nation was built on the backs of slaves. But I think it advances the notion that racism began and ended with slavery – institutional racism in particular. How about an apology for Jim Crow? Welfare reform? Do apologies have a positive impact on the day-to-day lives of African Americans? How about doing something about the prison industrial complex? Or the fact that black men make 78 cents and black women 65 cents for each dollar that white men make? I feel like these apologies for slavery allow white America to continue believing racism ended long ago; “get over it!”
On a more positive note, the Senate’s resolution coincides with Juneteenth, the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. The celebration originated on June 19th, 1865, the day Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and the enslaved were free. Also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, June 19th was coined “Juneteenth,” and the yearly celebrations grew with more participation from descendants. Juneteenth was a time for gathering family members and praying. Today, Juneteenth is a state holiday in 31 states. A number of National Juneteenth Organizations, along with older organizations, continue to celebrate African American freedom whilst promoting and cultivating knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture.
Happy Juneteenth!
Yeah, it’s a bit too little, too late. But I think it’s time for African-Americans to move forward and stop waiting for others to “fix” the myriad of issues that plague our community. You know me.. I’m all about being proactive.
Proof that racism is still alive and well: this is the first time I’ve ever heard of Juneteenth. And it’s an official holiday in almost 2/3 of our states?! *sigh* Well at least a bunch of white folks finally apologized, that makes it all better *sarcasm*.
Maybe next century someone will apologize for the fact that public schools, media outlets, and society in general didn’t see this as an important holiday.
I actually think I heard that “Jim Crow laws” were included in the formal apology…but your point remains.
Also, Juneteenth is a novel by Ralph Ellison (sorta, it was cobbled together posthumously from drafts), and is available for super-cheap at the mega-online-book-retailer that shall not speak its name. It’s a little uneven and totally dude-centric, but worthwhile, all the same. It’s not about the 1860s (though there is a major flashback), but the 1950s, and when it’s good, it’s Invisible Man good.
It stunned me to learn in law school that Plessy v. Ferguson has not technically been overturned. It is still good law. The fuck?
@ceejee: I agree 100%.
SarahMC do you know if the US has apologized to the Native Americans about that whole stealing their land thing and almost wiping out their entire race? I just hate that people always use the slavery of blacks as the greatest injustice the US has ever committed. I hear people saying “It’s about time” in regards to this, it is as if people think racism and slavery began in America.
Has Egypt apologized to the Hebrews for enslaving them? Has Rome apologized to most of western civilization for enslaving our ancestors? I’m guessing they just think it happened it sucked let’s move on, because an apology isn’t going to make anything better.
@DirtyLaundry: Nope. Not yet. But one is making its rounds in the Senate.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s.j.res.00014:
@PhDork: Yes, in the text, there are explicit references to Jim Crow several times.
Complete text of apology here: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-sc26/text
There is also recognition that racism still exists today.
What really bothers me is that there can be no claims of reparation made based on this apology. I understand that if they leave that door open, it will be a bureaucratic nightmare, but so much was taken from these people. An apology feels empty.
@amber: The government will never hand out money for something that happened over 2 centuries ago (I don’t necessarily think they should have to) and how do you measure the damages in terms of money. And why should they be giving out reparations to only Afr. Americans, what about the injustices done to Japanese Americans, shouldn’t they also be given some type of compensation or is it since Japanese Americans tend to be upper middle class they don’t count anymore.
And what about the Native Americans, oh wait, their all gone.
DirtyLaundry, you’re joking about Native Americans being all gone, right?
Eep. The first link didn’t completely parse. You’ll have to copy/paste the entire link (including the unlinked end colon) to see the bill.
@DirtyLaundry: The government didn’t give out the 40 acres and mule after the Civil War. I’m not surprised at the lack of compensation now. I don’t disagree with you on the reality of the issue, but I can say that (lack of) gesture feels empty.
The Japanese American internees and their families were given reparations in 1999. Source: http://www.democracynow.org/1999/2/18/wwii_reparations_japanese_american_internees
@DirtyLaundry: “And what about the Native Americans, oh wait, their all gone.” Seriously? Tell that to the Sioux side of my family.
Yes, I was being sarcastic. I know there are still a good amount of Native Americans left. But let us not forget that they started out as the majority and wound up as the smallest minority.