Senate Apologizes for Slavery, Segregation
The United States Senate passed a resolution today "apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African Americans," according to the legislation's title.
"It is important for the people of the United States, who legally recognized slavery through the Constitution and the laws of the United States, to make a formal apology for slavery and for its successor, Jim Crow, so they can move forward and seek reconciliation, justice, and harmony for all people of the United States," the resolution states.
The House passed a similar measure on a voice vote last July, and the Senate passed an apology for Native Americans in February 2008.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid released the following statement after the resolution's passage:
"In the nearly 150 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, America has taken serious and sincere steps to heal the deep wounds of one of history's greatest crimes against humanity. This resolution is another one of those steps."And in just the last four years, the Senate has taken significant strides to bring to life the words of our nation's most sacred documents that all men are created equal, and that all are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
"In 2005, we formally apologized for our past failure to pass anti-lynching legislation that could have prevented and more properly punished those responsible for the brutal killing of countless Americans.
"A year later, we renewed the Voting Rights Act, renewing our commitment to guarantee that millions of minority voters get equal opportunity to participate in our elections.
"Last year, Congress again took steps to correct injustice when we passed the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act, giving the Department of Justice and the FBI the tools they need to better investigate and prosecute unsolved civil rights-era murders.
"And just a few weeks ago in the Capitol's Emancipation Hall, we unveiled the bust of the great abolitionist and suffragist Sojourner Truth - a woman who, because of her race, had never before been recognized alongside the scores of American heroes memorialized in this building.
"Congress' condemnation of the legalized slavery and segregation of millions of our own is long overdue. No one pretends that a mere apology - or any words - can right the wrongs of the past. But it represents our recognition of that past and our commitment to more fully live up to our nation's promise in the future. We should live in a way so that 150 years from today, those who come after us will not have to apologize for our actions."