U.S. Congress apologizes for slavery

I don't apologize for slavery. I never owned a slave so why should I apologize? There isn't a person alive today that legally owned a slave, so why are we apologizing? Why would anybody feel that descendants of slaves are owed anything? If anybody should apologize and make reparations, it should be those that owned slaves, but they are all dead now so get over it.

I agree with Randy. Why are we the ones who need to apologize? We didi nothing wrong. Is anyone apologizing for killing all of the indians which I am a descendant of? It happens, it is long gone, get over it and move forward. Stop living in the past.

I'm so over this apologize for slavery bull! An apology is not going to do a damn thing to better or improve the state of black people..It's almost commical to see these state leaders giving empty a$$, meaningless apologies, for what? Keep your apologies and your reparations, just give me fair and equal treatment, jobs and education..

Reparations have already been paid - by the blood of Union soldiers!! 110,070 battle dead and 250,152 other war related deaths (Disease, battle-related injuries). Are the blacks going to pay reparations for their sacrifices to win their freedom?

@Originalist Why should blacks have to pay reparations for the sacrifice made to win our freedom, when we should have never been slaves in the first damn place? Who gave the white man the right to enslave a race of people and treat them less than human, freedom is a God given right, no one should have to fight for their freedom.

The comments above are some of the most asinine ignorant statements I have read in a long time. The jews haven't forgotten the holocaust and I feel blacks must not forget the legacy of slavery that still permeates the very core of American Culture. The Congress of the U.S. apologized and that's a start. We didn't ask for a damn thing from you. So, continue living your limited bigoted little lives.

Build monuments, give out awards named after brave slaves, build slavery networks, write books and make visual documentaries and never ever let any black kid escape knowing and feeling what happened to their forebears.

Stefany, I agree with you. My last line was sarcasm. However, Whites were not the only ones guilty of slavery. Blacks in Africa had been practicing their own slavery for hundreds of years. They willingly sold their own people to the Europeans. In addition, the majority of "white" (or other races) in America never owned slaves. How can you penalize the vast majority who did not by raising their taxes to cover the payments? You can't say that everyone in America was complicit with slavery, when many in both the North and South disagreed with it from the onset.

I am writing in response to the ignorant statement by Randy and LD. No you did not own slaves and no one has asked you to apologize either. However, the US Congress allowed the institution of slavery to exist through the laws that were created and the US Congress of today apologize that the institution of government allowed this evil institution to exist. No one living today owns staves, but there are alot a people living today that are wealthy as a result of the institution of slavery. It is amazing was you can learn when you open your mind.

I think the apologies are long overdue and if some White people don't like it, then screw you and your ancestors. We did not ASK your ancestors to bring us over here. Blame them if you want to blame someone for the racial probelems in this country. Also, for those Whites and others whose ancestors came through Ellis Island and "didn't own slaves", nobody's asking YOU to apologize. This apology is from the United States Government, which authorized and indeed encouraged slavery. By the way, don't act like your immigrant ancestors didn't benefit from slavery either. What the hell do you think would be over here to immigrate to, were it not for the hard work of the slaves? Slaves helped to build this country and to clear the frontier. They survived malaria, measles, and other diseases that Europeans and Native Americans succumbed to in large numbers. In case you didn't know the sickle cell trait gave Africans much stronger immunity to malaria. Europeans who came to this country without slaves died in large numbers (the Pilgims in Plymouth Colony, for example). Later arrivals found survival much easier, and in fact thrived with slaves. The point I'm making is that this country WOULD NOT EXIST as we know it without slave labor and your Ellis Island Ancestors might have ended up staying home or immigrating to Australia, South America or other parts of Europe had this country not been built up with the assistance of slaves. So, maybe you shouldn't apologize--you should THANK African-American descendants of slaves for giving your potato famine surviving, Russian pogrom escaping, holocaust surviving ancestors a new place to call home.

About time.

THIS GENERATION OF WHITE FOLKS MAY NOT HAVE OWN HUMAN PROPERTY.........BUT YOU DEVILS ARE SHO NUFF BENEFITING BIG TIME FROM IT! AFRICAN SLAVERY IS NOTHING LIKE ARAB AND EUROPEAN SLAVERY. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! ALSO, LOOK AT THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING THAT IS HAPPENING, WHO IS AT THE HELM AND/OR GOT THEIR HANDS IN THE POT. YOU GUESSED IT! WHAT ABOUT DOMESTIC SLAVERY HERE IN THE U.S. BLACK FOLKS AIN'T HOLDING NOBODY FROM THE PACIFIC ISLANDS IN THEIR HOMES AS SLAVES, IN GENERAL. THREATENING TO CALL IMMIGRATION IF THEY DON'T WORK FOR FREE. GOOD LAWD, YOU PEOPLE!

Hey Originalist, for clarity's sake, how are you (and the vast majority) being penalized for slavery? Also, what exactly does African slavery institutions have to do with America? People were also enslaved in the Caribbean. That shouldn't keep the American Government who sanctioned American Slavery from speaking out against what has occured here in America.

The US never participated in any way in the Holocaust. Need I say more.

@Originalist...I don't believe that anyone should be penalized for slavery that happend a long time ago, nor do I believe that any white person should apologize for slavery or give me reparations, like I stated in my first comment it really doesn't make sence to apologize, because it doesn't fix or change anything for black people..I am also aware that Africans enslaved their own and even sold their own into slavery, but we're talking about the history of White America enslaving and mistreating Africans.

A lot of you people who posted your little comments about not agreeing with the apology should be a shame of yourselves. Put the shoe on the other foot. If your anscestors were kiddnapped against your will and forced to do work also against your will, you would want something in return as well. What congress did was ok but who the hell cares? There are still injustices that are happening to African Americans to this day. In my opinion, the apology is to little to late but it is a start. Also, what about the holocaust? The Jewish community got something in return, you mean to tell me that Afican Americans shouldn't get anything at all?

Promises Promises On my great-grand father's forty acres I would now be running brightly and planting orchards. On my family's mules I would ride my sons. I want it. I still want it.

Originalist – in an effort to somehow mitigate white American participation in the trans Atlantic slave trade you say, “Blacks in Africa had been practicing their own slavery for hundreds of years.” While it is true Africans and others (e.g., Greeks, Romans) practiced a form of slavery it was in no way equivalent to white American slavery. Most importantly it differed in the manner in which someone became a slave, the treatment of slaves, the length of servitude and the way owners viewed their slaves. Under white American slavery it was forbidden by law to educate a slave, slavery lasted in perpetuity, a child born to a slave woman was also a slave, slaves were treated as chattel property/livestock rather than as human being, slaves were rarely freed or allowed to purchase their freedom, and white American slavery was based exclusively on the notion of racial inferiority. None of this is true regarding slavery as practiced by the Africans. Let me take this opportunity to school you. In African societies slavery was akin to a condition of indentured servitude (fixed time of service after which slave was granted freedom). People typically became slaves as the spoils of war. The victor in a war typically took people from the losing side as their slaves. Under African slavery however the individual was still a human being. Freedom was possible under a number of circumstances depending on the role in which the slave served. Slaves were permitted to purchase their freedom, female slaves were often freed for purposes of marriage and any children born were normally born free. Some masters freed their slaves as a reward for loyal and faithful service. Slaves were allowed to be educated. In the whole history of slavery throughout the world I defy you to find any society that treated it’s enslaved population the way enslaved Africans were treated during the trans Atlantic slave trade. Enslaved Africans were treated worse than livestock under white American chattel slavery.

THANK YOU ROBIN!!White America enslaved a race of people, robbed us of our heritage, and treated us like animals in the process..And still to this day we're treated like $h**! Just look at every thing going on in the media, the racist jokes, white folk not wanting a Hispanic woman to be on the Supreme court or a black man to be president..Like Martin Luther King said in a speech "One hundred years later the African still isn't free." So like I said, keep your damn apology.

Am I the only African American that can see that our own people sold us into slavery? It's not as if the European's came over and pulled people out of their homes and put them on a ship. It was usually a tribe who conquered another tribe sold them into slavery for guns, food, etc. How about that fact that most of the white people in America didn't come into the country until after the Civil War? Did you know that Freed Blacks owned slaves? @nakia - Calling people devils makes you look uneducated. Plus, the caps lock key being broken doesn't help that cause either.

Doesn't Congress have more important things to worry about right now???

Too bad the white posters/Republicans have over run this thread with nonsense and fake racist names.

I agree!! It's amazing how this site has been infiltrated with these troll types and some of the subject matter in the articles can feed right into the nonsense.

Can we all say victimology? What would Jesus, or Muhammad do?

Since it has been a number of years since the world has heard from them personally, you tell us what they would do since you seem to be enlightened?

As some of you have stated before, why is congress worried about giving another apology for slavery. There was a apology given last year given by the House of Reps. If they are so sorry as they may have it, why don't they get involved with the states who still practice segragation. Or maybe they should worry about the prisoners of Gitmo! Why are we bailing out banks and car companies, and we still have people who don't have jobs, houses, healthcare, nor food? Why are we as a country are worried about something that happened years ago. We as a country need to look at the troubles at hand before we are forced into another depression.

Two things: First of all, I am a first generation (U.S.) American of native Central American descent (if you want to talk abuse, try it in your own country as a slave!), so I don't see how I or my siblings should be held responsible for things that my personal family had NOTHING to do with. There is not a culture on earth that has not been enslaved by another culture. That is not to belittle the wrongs done to African descended slaves, but just because they occurred in a more recent history where people actually realized it was wrong and went to war because of it doesn't make it any worse than any other form of slavery. Just fresher in the social mind. Secondly, attempting to demand reparations after so very long of a time from a group that had no say in the slavery and I would guess is 99% against any kind of slavery (there are always idiots) seems to me like trying to cash in on their own ancestors slavery yet again. WRONG!! There is no monetary amount that could make up for slavery and there is no reason to penalize folks who had nothing to do with it. Look forward and make sure no group is made to suffer like that again! Let it go. If you have a beef with slavery, look towards the East and work to protect children of asian countries being used as sex slaves RIGHT NOW! Your ancestors, and mine, are no longer suffering the indigities of this life. Thank God.

If they really do why do they try to forget that Haitiens help them come out of slavery and most of them are waiting to digg into Haiti and make haitien live like slave right now.

The Slavery Issue needed to be addresed because it is a fact that the U.S. would not be what it is today had it not been for the African Slave, But let's not stop there, lets leave the cotton fields and continue on. Look at all of the contributions made by we as a people since slavery. The contributions to Science, Medicine, The Arts, Agiculture, Entertainment and so on. We as a people have made such a vast contribution to this country and are vastly responsible for the richness of it, that it is undeniable that we are interwoven into the very essence of i'ts being. Yes we deserve an apology for the wrongs done to us but we also derseve a well over due "Thank You"

Chaja, are you projecting? Who is holding you responsible for slavery? Native Central Americans rank second in illegal immigrants entering this country. Unlike African-Americans, most of whom came here shackled and witness to their people being thrown in the ocean to maintain weight, your ancestors came/come here willingly. This is not meant to deligitimize the unrest and oppression central americans have endured.

If I lived in Central America, and government (sanctioning much of the oppression) wanted to apologize to the citizens who built much of their Central America, then why would I object to that? Especially when the "current" opression results in its citizens fleeing en masse to another country?

You had nothing to do with the Iraq war but you are being 'penalized' with your tax dollars being used to pay for it.

When the Children of Israel were enslaved by Egypt they kept their names, language, and religion. When Germany invaded Poland, Austria, and Russia and subsequently placed the captives in concentration camps those captives were allowed to keep their names, language, and religion. Hitler is remembered as a monster, yet this was permitted. Pharoahs are demonized in the Bible, yet this was permitted. Neither one of these points in history can hold a candle to what happened to the African in the Americas. The U.S. government and it's people stole everything the enslaved Africans had and it amazes me and my children who have read your comments how Monstrous some of you who are the descendants of the monsters who initiated slavery in this land are and how much slavery still exists in the minds of the descendants of the Enslaved Africans.

Congress has no right to apologize on my behalf for something that happened before I was born and that I had nothing to do with. Slavery in Africa dates back to the 7th century, well before the first slaves were brought here in the 16th century. Should Congress apologize for this as well? I definitively agree that no race (not just black) should have gone through what has befallen them due to their color but I apologize only for what I do, not for what others have done. I do not judge anyone for their color but for their character. Therefore, I should not, cannot, and will not apologize for my color or the acts that I or my ancestors did not have a part in.

Stop living in the past? Who has the nerve to say so? Who lives in the past more than Jewish Americans. But you won't tell them this. It is only African Americans whose history is freely ignored. That itself is a biproduct of slavery. Every year we are reminded of the holocaust and expected to weep and shut up about anything else. Hitler's attempt of world domination was not a war against Jewish people. Hence the term World War. The actual holocaust was less than ten years long and six milllion people were killed. Not to belittle this occurance but seriously does it conpare to over 200 years of dehuminization to the estimated 100 million africans who were enslaved in this country. Think about it.

Stop feeding the GOP paid trolls on these issues, state your case on the issue and ignore the trolls/raicts/Republicans who screech equality and still carry the ahte of thier forefathers on blacks. As for illegal immigrants posting, that's a whole other can of worms.

The Internet gives cowards the anonymity where they say these racially inflammatory statements with impunity. But know this, your poor attitude will betray you and you will say these things were you can't hide and you will be called into account. Slavery was a despicable and shameful institution which dehumanized both its victims and its victimizers. The belated and ineffective apology from Congress and the House does nothing to right the wrongs of slavery. Families were destroyed, an entire culture of people were erased and massive fortunes were built off of the blood, sweat and tears of millions of African slaves. As some of the comments have mentioned that many Africans were sold into slavery by their own people which is sad but true and this type of betrayal exists today by so-called African-Americans who profit for reinforcing racist stereotypes feeding white supremacists' claims that we deserve substandard treatment. In order to truly repent from slavery, the massive fortunes that have been built from it have to be turned over to the African American community and the system of white privilege has to be completely dismantled and opportunities for building massive wealth have to be truly open to all races,colors and cultures. This will never happen without employing the same tactics that the conquistadors used to enslave Africans back in 1619 onward. I don't see African-Americans raiding the suburbs with nets, capturing Caucassians and loading them into slave ships returning to Africa anytime soon. But the thought gives me a warm tingle inside.

Why are some folks getting bent out of shape over a nonbinding resolution?
It's just an apology!

Omar, you warm my heart!! Thanks for you comment. You couldn't have said it better.

Who is going to apologize to the entire American population for our current and increasing slavery? We have ALL been slaves all of our lives but didn't know it. Now we will KNOW it. I do not apologize (it wasn't me or my parents)but do feel badly that anyone in the past was that type of slave, based on their skin color alone, and for anyone who has had to deal with bigotry. I'm sorry that people on both sides of the ocean engaged in it, or all those throughout history that have been slaves. However, this is supposed to be the land of the free and guess what? We have all been DUPED. Your grandchildren (of any color) will have no doubts they are slaves...from birth.

Hey Omar, in case you haven't been paying attention, I think this government is on the way to doing just what you want. At least if they don't, like I said we will soon ALL feel like slaves. And it's too bad there are people on both sides who still insist on clinging to the past. We shouldn't have to dismantle society for people of color to move ahead. Not every white person is racist or rich. All Americans have the same opportunities today or at least we have had until recently. I could give you so many examples of very successful people of color who haven't asked and don't even want anyone's help. It has much to do with attitude. It's a fact that slaves' descendants HAVE been given reparations in many forms as it is. I know I, as a white woman, no kids, FT college student, injured from an accident and temporarily unable to work, was once told by the social worker I could not get a couple weeks' worth of food stamps because I was not black and had no kids. Yet, I paid taxes and had always worked FT and often two jobs. Is that fair? It took so much for me to break down and go ask--hungry and hopeless. I was in school trying to BETTER myself and had been reponsible enough to have no other mouths to feed. I sat in that chair and wanted to cry but I sucked it up and carried on, realizing what the system was doing and wondering why the place was full of black women with kids in tow, who all received THEIR benefits with no problem, paid by MY money. Unlike me, their hair and nails were done too. It's never been easy for me, but my decisions are my own and I take full responsibility, regardless of what happened with my ancestors. This entitlement crap is tearing us apart. Ah well, spread the wealth, I guess. Too bad I don't have any to spread! My friend, Tyrone, does though. I don't think he'd want ANYTHING dismantled. He'd say get your butt out there and work for it like he does.

It's just an apology!
There is absolutely NOTHING un-"fair" about a past-due, nonbinding, meaningless apology.

A certain white woman (probably a white man who comments under different names telling fake stories about how blacks are the only ones on public assistance while he smokes his crystal meth pipe) can't get over the fact that America and it's system of winners and LOSERS are not infallible. The system created the problem so we shall deal with the system.

Some of you need to lay off the illegal or controlled substances and take your real medication.

My Website/blog is forthcoming. However,maybe one of the 1st topics I'll post comment about will potentially be "Reparations: African Americans". But in the meantime - to those who feel no reparations are due, check this out: 1971 United States, $1 billin + 44 Million acres in the Alaska Natives Land Settlement. 1980 United States $81 million to the Klamaths of Oregon, 1986 United States $32 million to Ottawas of Michigan, 1990 United States $1.2 bilion to Japanese Americans. These are just a few examples. When the United States promised the slaves 40 acres, FIFTY DOLLARS and a mule. My god, reparations are due - Period! Case Closed.

Many of the GOP paid trolls/racists on this thread really need to learn how to spell if they are going to be spewing hate and nonsense.

Wow. The institution of slavery was like non other. Emancipation was a good thing, but flawed. It's like being let go from a job without getting a buyout package or unemployment benefits. Hell, they didn't even get 40 acres and a mule. Sad. But we still made it. Thank God.

Lil' Philly

Thank you so much. You took the words right out of my mouth, I totally concur!

As much I HATE Terrorism Why are really going against them? because of their hatred of Isreal

When will America learn to take care of America?

I must ask that!

Slavery in the United States of America was not limited to isolated and arbitrary acts of cruelness enacted by stereotypical mint julep sipping Antebellum Southerners with nothing better to do. It was systematic and deliberate, so much so that it was called the "peculiar institution" by the contemporaries of that time. What made it peculiar is that it was a government sanctioned institution that allowed human beings to be packed onto slave ships in the most inhumane way possible for the purpose of performing free labor. Africans were transported across the Atlantic Ocean on a typical three month voyage along the Middle Passage to the Americas, where at times less than half of them would survive the treacherous voyage, only to arrive in the United States to be lined up in shackles like cattle then stripped down naked, and sold on auction blocks to the highest bidder. During the "peculiar institution," it was common ground that slave women, children, and men were forced to be separated from their families and sold hundreds of miles away never to be seen or heard of again by their loved ones. Black women were raped daily by their White slave masters and beaten by their plantation mistresses out of jealous fits of rage. Elderly slaves who had worked long and hard years in the fields were cast off plantations without the means to survive-- left to starve because they were simply too old to make a profit for their White masters anymore. These brief examples and many more acts of cruelty and deprivation were allowed to continue in our nation for well over four-hundred years while the United States became the leading manufacturer of goods such as cotton, sugar and tobacco. Slavery was a business that made the United States wealthy very quickly, and if not for the industrial revolution, the Chattel slavery may have lasted much longer. Perhaps African Americans might possibly still be in shackles today. So no matter how much the nay sayers would like to negate the dreadful realities and the impact of slavery on American culture, the truth is that human beings suffered merciless as slaves through centuries of abject conditions in order to make this country what it is today.

If they're gonna apologize to blacks for slavery then they need to apologize to the native americans whom we murdered to get this land and they need to apologize to the native americans and caucasion people that were also slaves during that time. And maybe us white folks should ask Egypt to apologize to caucasions for owning us as slaves for THOUSANDS of years compared to about 400 years!!

I aslo have to say that it is a fact that most slaves were treated well and they lived about the same as a middle class white man. Some owners were cruel to their slaves and were punished if they were caught because it was against the law. There were enforced laws against beating slaves. If you think for a minute that all or most slaves were treated horribly then you need to think of it like this. Some men beat there wives. Doesn't mean all men beat their wives. Another way to think about it....slaves were farm equipment. The owners of these slaves paid a lot of money for them. You had to be wealthy in order to purchase a slave. It doesn't take a lot of common sense to know that a farmer isn't going to mistreat his farm equipment. The whole purpose of him purchasing a slave is to do the labor. A beaten and mistreated and malnourished slave is not going to be able to do what his owner bought him to do! Just like a farmer now would not skip oil changes on his tractor or leave his tractor in the rain for it to rust. Same thing. All this is not said to condone slavery in any way. I'm just stating what our public schools and media tend to leave out.

Im, there are more Whites on welfare than Blacks. You are clearly a racist bigot who chooses to buy into stereotypes of Black people in order to uplift yourself. Your banter about how unfairly you are treated compared to Black welfare mothers makes you sound like the victim. Give it a rest already. I attended college full time while working full time with a child and I finished with a 3.5 GPA, with no assistance from the government. Please don't demean Black people with your hatred and ignorance. Take it to the Klan's website. Anyone can see that you have a big agenda and a small brain.

CSA, it is painfully obvious that you have disdain for Blacks, which makes it a personal problem. I can't help you with that, but I will prayer for you. I believe that they should apologize to the Native Americans as well. Incidentally, no matter what you choose to believe as fact, African slaves were treated worst by their masters than mules. Of course their were exceptions, but overall the institution of slavery was not in favor of African Americans AT ALL. There is numerous recorded evidence that support the reality that most slaves, especially in the deep South were treated poorly by overseers and their masters. Its bad enough that you feel that an apology from the government is not needed, but to try and dismiss history and re-write it in order to conceal its ugly truth is sad and cowardly. God bless you.

Anomaly, I have no disdain for blacks but thanks for your payer anyhow:) Where is this "evidence" that you speak of? Just because you've seen a couple of pictures of whipped black folks? There are letters of slaves easily found onlin that talk about how they loved their masters and they talk about thei lives as slaves. Most of them were not mistreated. YOU NEED TO GET YOUR FACTS STR

Oh would'nt we love it if that were true. The slaves loved their masters, the black women were in love with ones that raped them too right? I mean what universe are you living in? If slavery wasnt so bad, and black people dont have such a bad time in this country. If there were a machine that could turn a white person black for a whole calander year. They would go out of business before a whole calander year passed. Because NO ONE WOULD SIGN UP TO BE BLACK IN AMERICA!!!!!! Wake up and stop dreaming!!! Slavery, Jim Crow, Segration, American Apartide were ALL BADD!!!! And deserves more than an apoglogy, or even a vote for a black man for president. It deserves some real resolve to fix the broken black family this country has left for dead....Now that's whats up!!!

All of the courageous Black Americans who worked their tired fingers to the bone and lost their lives to make life comfortable and prosperous for white Americans never got a single shred of compensation for their blood, sweat and tears. All they got were beatings, situations of severe exploitation and lynching, when being exploited was not enough. An apology coming at this late in the game, is for me, useless--too little too late. I'd much rather see actions that demonstrate that America's ruling (political class) actually values equality and justice for all of us because actions in my opinion speak much louder than words! Besides, we lost so much and have had to start so far behind white people, that we will never catch up. So much for an untimely,useless, toothless apology.

CSA4ever--GREAT POST and very illuminating!

I see your points. The idea that African-Americans, once treated as cattel (branded by iron at that) would be treated on par with a piece of farm equipment is nonsense. It's been well documented that without oil and gas, equipment would fail. It has also been documented that we worked from sunup to sundown and were forced to continue despite similar nourishment. So African-Americans were treated worse than farm equipment.

CSA, ignorance is bliss, so go right ahead and enjoy your blissful existence with blinders on. All you have to do is go to a library and research American slavery. The facts are there and they are not as you portray them. I read books and articles. I go beyond looking at pictures. I am an educated African American descendant of slaves and slave masters for that matter. My maternal grandmother and grandfather, god rest their souls, were raised in sharecropping families in Texas. They shared my families' past with me before they died. Of course, I suspect that you are aware of the facts, but choose to ignore them while spreading your vitriolic propaganda in an attempt to completely convolute the truth and contribute to the historic attempt to disenfranchise African Americans. The institution of slavery may have deprived descendants of African slaves of their knowledge of who they were as a people before being brought to America in bondage, but it won't be as easy to erase the wicked stain of slavery from the tapestry of American history no matter how much people like yourself try to deny it. Now, I am sure that few if any on this sight is buying your claim of innocence, so why don't you return quietly to your klan meeting and tell the boys that we ain't buying it.

Why even respond to someone whose screen name is CSA4Ever "Confederate States of Amerca forever"? He is obviously a racist and loves to support traitorous losers. Please ignore the racist troll!

The National Coalition of Blacks in America (N'COBRA) has long stated its position on the growing number of resolutions of profound regret and questionable apology by units of government and private corporations. These resolutions should be supported only as means to open dialogue on the elements of repair that must be included in tomorrow's reparations accord. The resolution could have been crafted in such a way that it would help lead America out of its shameful code of silence and contextualize the inordinately high levels of poverty, health related issues, poor education, poor housing, crime, dysfunctional families, etc., existing in present day African descendant communities which can be directly linked to the American era of enslavement. N'COBRA position remains, notwithstanding congressional electoral politics and Obama-mania that at least five of the lasting injury areas must be resolved and recommendations of ways and means made for repairing the damage. The five injury areas are fatherhood/peoplehood, education, criminal punishment, wealth/poverty, and health. Obama is talking about these areas but omits and obfuscates the context. Enslavement Africans in America was more than the slave trade. The context is CRIMES AGAINST HUMANTITY i.e. the destruction of life, culture, and human possibilities!

As with any true apology/confession it is expected that the perpetrator(s) of the crime state as accurately as possible what the apology is for, seek repentance, and be willing to REPAIR THE DAMAGE DONE by acts of commission and omission which have lingered as vestiges of the original acts of destruction of a civilization. An apology alone falls short, without REPAIR. HERE IS A SIMPLE EXAMPE FOR THE SIMPLE: If you intentionally knock my glasses off omy face, crushed them under your feet, then apologize with paying me for the damage done, means you're a criminal at-large! Those of us who are about true hope and real change will continue to think about tomorrow and never forget the Holocaust of African enslavement. And, as true patriots, work for real and lasting change, regardless who is in the White House, to assure that the monstrous destruction of human life, human culture, and human possibilities never occur again. Moreover, Blacks, and others, individually and united, must express disagreement with the final language of the resolution because it fails to include the truthful portrayal of African descendants in American history that cannot be denied. The African descendant view must be that this era in American history is more appropriately termed a Holocaust of Enslavement of African Peoples rather that the usual acceptable euphemisms for American terrorism and uneven emphasis placed on ”commerce” as in "forced labor" or “trade” as in "slave trade." At a minimum, the US.Senate should pass a bill establishing a commission, as recommended by HR40, a bill sponsored by Congressman Conyers in 1988, to "examine the institution of slavery, subsequently de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination against African-Americans, and the impact of these forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the Congress on appropriate remedies." There is no where in the world you can commit a crimes of rape, murder, terror and torture, then confess/apologize, and not pay for the crimes! The time for political spin is over!

For all who are in denial: Our ancestors were terrorized by injustices codified in the Constitution of the United States by America’s founding fathers and carried out by religious organizations, corporations, and units of government. Left unchanged, This collaborative will continue in perpetuity impacting African-Americans’ capacity to develop all of their human possibilities if reparations are not paid for the damage done. THESE SAME PERPETUAL INSTITUTIONS STILL EXIST TODAY. ONLY THE NAMES AND FACES HAVE CHANGED. Chattel enslavement, and the de facto and de jure racism that have grown from it, was not that long ago as opponents of truth and justice would lead the voting public to believe. As a distinct people in America, African-Americans, with a pre-determined social, economic and political status, have been “free” for only 144 years (1865-2009). This also means that 100 years of our so-called freedom (1865-1965) were spent trying to repair ourselves and seeking recognition as humans. Our ancestors were “freed” dead broke, without brick, bread, or thread, despite, the promises made, while the enslavers were compensated for the lost of their chattel. Still, today, even with President Barack Obama African-Americans are still not fully recognized as a people. Therefore, a true national dialogue on a Reparations Accord for Blacks in America is appropriate within this founding context of America. Reparations are the cross-road solution to these historical injustices and our current undeveloped human capital. This past due debt, left unpaid, will forever contradict the U.S. Constitution many ELECTED officials, and the President know so well.

My warnings are simple and plain, when America reparate what they tried to in full desecrate then we can truly have an Emancipation that has occurred through a proclimated system that has not existed, due to divisions, segregation, and separations and divisions within the Black so called Negro Community that has ties to the creation of the American Constitution, as it was written within the US legislation one of its first kind, “ we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created to be free, well self meaning I or a person knows and understands that they are born free, not belonging to any man woman boy girl child system agency, religion, occult, government, agency, race for that matter for races where created which is a contradiction to the definition of created free, labeled are we, nor are we enslaved to banks, credit, debt, so the right to bare arms are null-in-void because if a Black person Aka so called Negro defends his or herself he or she is guilty until proven innocent, even if they have a bit of money power and fame, as we have seen Michael Vick, and Orenthal J. Simpson how Habeas Corpus was bypassed and they were expedited by this hating system of justice, as one artist said “ Justice or is it just us, no negros included we built the music and what do we get”, (Dave Beano Aka The General). Freedom is for everyone and it doesn’t cost you or anyone that is a human being anything for such birth rights. We were born with enailible rights to have life liberty and the persuit of happiness? Where is it and how can we go about it, if all the systems, banking, music, film, are anti Negro? If we are to have liberty, freedom, justice and self evolution for happiness, then why does it cost lives and money or fame to acquire such? Until Blacks the so called Negro have such freedoms as said in your declarations of independence, this nation shall continue to spiral down, within a blind manor right into its own self destruction., because all that glitters is not gold my friends, and that paper mixed with ink doesn’t not finalize and give closure my friends, its only when the spiritual connects to the universal laws that these words have power for all mankind, then we will see the self manifested power of these words, and only then shall healing of a divided nation begin to live truly. So cut away the strings, slowly and carefully, and rehabilitate yourselves or simply be destroyed utterly without a trace of existence ever! Even down to the divided riches shall this nation reap what it had sown? It’s that created fait that now awaits your future, is this something you want to inherit? I truly think not, nor do you want to marry into such Negro Families because the so called Negro due to the past and present oppression this and many other nations have placed upon them which came with the inner being spirit, its not just the color of the skin, rather the melanin deep within that dark bronze skin, that keeps you hating, disrespecting by immigrating and killing of one nation just to ignore their cries of the past and use the new nation week and blind for a working force that has existed for years, but that Black person could not find work! Why? To open eyes by replacing or erasing that which you created “slavery” and you have benefited graciously off the backs and lives and lets not forget deaths of said people whom faced chaos murder rape and lynching on a daily basis. Many Parents since would pray for a girl for many generations to come and we see it now how within the Black community the girls outnumber the boys 3 to 1. Fear of raising a young male whom would be killed lynched or burned to death because of his skin and the stigma “slave, boy you aren’t anything but an animal”, really? is that who the Negro are animals? When such groups as KKK, Skin heads, and other organizations some governmental institutions set in place to keep the Black man or so called Negro in his place, but today this is creating a new frustration, one that is tied to the new laws of immigration making law and order very chaotic and vague. We all know energy can not be lost, nor stolen, it can not be hidden or destroyed it can transfer from one entity to another, so you have cut off many biological beings but just as lights you can cut them off but we are full of energy, you can destroy the grids in the Black community and shut down the internet sources, just know we are solar powered beings that live within this flesh suit. Our flesh suits are full of fleshly organisms and tissues that are controlled by the light life force that one day due to destruction of the biological tissues, shall return to its beginning and one day returning back to the earth. We are that energy that has been used to build up America in all fascist of its infrastructures. The same energy that had sold your fashions, cars and apartments or town homes until some where allowed purchasing homes with slavery signs attached to them with arms and balloon contracts, but this is how we could get a home and then figure out a way to pay it off. The same light and life force that gives energy from way of the Sun to generate functions of the body that keeps the heart beating, the eye(s) seeing, the mind thinking and creating, the lungs breathing, the blooding flowing, evolving and inventing, the muscles pumping, the veins glowing, the ideas showing, the nails scratching, the hair growing, the voice singing, the feet dancing, the bone marrow healing and the EARTH MOVING! We are Kemet beings from the so called land of Africa and Egypt, KEMET is the name and the Nationality it’s our reality for what you know have in your possession was once and now ours again from the pineal gland up to the Sun and the Universe we are therefore IAM, for I am not my skin, this is a misconception, I am not my hair, this is a dare, I am not my mind for in time it will decline or be controlled by the surround power system known in the bible and many religious or spiritual books as the beast, no I am not none of these things, for I just AM. Today we are hearing the on going debate of why or why not, blacks in America deserve and should have reparations and the apology offered after 150 plus years of said damages. Many claim that one reason is that we do not know who were of the slaves that were held because there are no reports, news clippings historic records and no proof of Negros families being slaves. When in fact there used to be news paper clippings of run away slaves being lynched and or burned or decapitated or mutilated in one form or another. There are many reports news clippings, photos of whites bragging about killing, murdering, lynching, decapitating, and mutilating, in public format with children watching. This is public domain and now have been hidden deleted and erased to show white Americans to be more compassionate to the Blacks in this country when many wealthy families have profited off the lives and deaths of said people held in the slavery system.

To Randy Beesley, Sir if there's no apology given from the govt.or the powers that be,for American slavery,the invassion of Vietnam,Dropping the atomic bomb on Japan and straight-up destroying Latin-America. The ancesters of these folks may someday seek their revenge, so Mr.Beesley to say I'm sorry with meaning,sincerity and reprarations would bring these great matters a needed closure....P.S. Mr.Beesley also if you feel to believe you have no reason to apologize to the desendance of the american slaves then maybe you should be singing their praises your family would have never left Europe had it not been for the wealth created off the backs of american slaves for 400yrs. when you understand that America has been a Slave Nation longer than it's been a Free Nation you'll get it.

L.D. you don't in anyway speak for the Native-American population,who indeed had a Halocoust committed against them. The American govt. should apolgize for the killing of natives to this land,for taking their land,for raping their woman and for knowingly giving them diseases and enslaving them in their own land. They did all this to Africans as well, and there should be a sincere apology and reparations to all and this Apology & Reprarations should be heard around the World.

cmoney and anomaly. Thank you for your comments. It's so typical for ya'll to say that just because I don't agree with you that I'm racist. I grew up around nothing but black people and I have black friends that know exactly how I feel and I know how they feel. Unfortunately, to the victor goes the spoils. After the South lost the war, the yankees took control of education, gov., etc. Look in the public schools' books that our children are taught by. They're all from the north. The north is able to tell the story like they want us to know it, not like it was. I am an educated white woman and I do my homework. I don't just listen to what the media says and what the public schools taught me. I do my own research. The fact is that slavery was a terrible thing. No one disputes that. But again, whites were slaves for thousands of years to the egyptians and that was terrible too. And if you want reparations, then I want reperations. Then every family member who has had a person in their family murdered for any reason should get reparations and then the South should get reparations for Sherman's march to the sea. They murdered, raped, beat innocent men, women, children and slaves. So we should receive reparations too. See, where does it stop. Sometimes, you just have to move on.

CSA4EVER09, go to Egypt and get your reparations. Ostend Street, thanks! Im, I hope you never suffer a traumatic experience only to have an insensitive oaf tell you to "get over it".

Actually, I am about 70% native american ron lee, so i can speak for the native americans

Thanks Omar but I think i've moved on and gotten over the fact that my ancestors, both white and indian were tortured beyond our imaginations. I don't particularly like taking money from people who had nothing to do with owning slaves. Matter of fact, my confederate ancestors did not even own slaves. So why then should WE pay for reparations????????? And what's funny is that YOU would be helping to pay your own reparations. Cause how do you think they'll get that money? Huh?

I say.... apology NO, reparations YES. And thanks again to Robin for educating folks about the whole "african accomplicies in the slave trade." I love when critics try to use that old canard to mitigate their past guilt and justify "white privilge."

It's called taxpayer money!!

CSA, live long and prosper.

bless your heart anomaly. I will thank you.

csa4ever: drop dead. Bigot.

Ok.....now who is going to apologize for the slavery that continues, to this day, in Africa?

To Trey Jackson, you are the only blind one that can't see the true fact. Fact is, those sold into slavery by fellow Africans is at a low percentage compared to those take directly from their villages. That factoid that you are flexing is a ploy to turn the tables on the those who were victimized, and it doesn't represent the totality of what happened during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. You need to read beyond what is put in front of you and stop spitting back white facts to justify slavery. The irony. Understand the difference between chattle slavery and the type of slavery that took place within the continent of Africa. In that comparison you will find the intended deception. Do us all a favor and do not insult our intelligence any further. Study and then come back to the well..and if you need reading material I will be glad to point you in the right direction.

Cmoney, people tend to get defensive when they realize that someone else just might have a valid point and that maybe, just maybe they might be wrong. I'm glad I've helped you see the other side. The right side. The common sense side.

Urgo, that's a great question. If the federal govenrnment abhored slavery so much that they murdered 600,000 men women and children in the South supposedly to free slaves then why didn't they take it one step further and free the slaves where they were actually buying them? Why didn't we go to war with them? Lincoln could've killed slavery right at the source. Instead of marchin south he could've went over to Africa and murdered them. That would've cut the world's supply of slaves off. At least from Africa anyhow. You know. I guess we should apologize to them too right? The African nation despised and still does despise their own people so much that they sold them into slavery!! What?!! I can see how black people would be pissed off because their ancestors were slaves but maybe ya'll are getting pissed off at the wrong people. Maybe ya'll need to be pissed with your own people. Cause ya'll were born in a country who hated you. Hated you so much that they wanted you gone! Ask reparations from them. Their still doin it. If your'e so against slavery then maybe you should donate your money to help those people still bein sold today!!!

1. America participated in the slave trade for 400 years. 2. They treated Africans like animals. 3. South American countries should be apologizing instead of the US. 75% of slaves went south of the border. 4. Muslims should be apologizing, since they've been and continue(Darfur) to make a dollar off the backs of Africans. 5. American version of controlling the black man would be "Tar and Feather". I I'd rather take the humiliation instead of losing my Johnson, which is the Muslims technique back in the day. On those long walks from the subsaharan African jungle, those towel heads made sure the bruthas couldn't get ahold of their women when they arrived in Babylon. Wrapped that little head in a towel and keep it moving. 6. There are many to blame for slavery. I'd rather take my anger out on the Arabs, more than whites.

I think that the discussion has gone too far. When we start throwing racial epithets around we have clearly taken it to another level. If there is a mediator monitoring this board, I believe that you should have stepped in long ago. For the past few days there have been mostly hateful messages left. I believe in free speech, but when hate speech becomes transparent, it is time to draw the line.

Anomaly, there is no one preaching hate in this forum. You just don't like what you're reading. Even if there was hate preaching, if you believe in free speech then you probably believe in the 1st amendment; Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. I don't see where the 1st amendment says that you have free speech as long as you don't offend anybody.

CSA, most of us are onto the motivation of posters like yourself. We get it. To demonstrate your unsurprising disingenousness, you bring up the first amendment as a refute to Anomaly's post about moderation.

How could you not know that the 1st amendment really does have its limitations. If you run into a room and yell fire, and pandemonium ensues, you can be criminally prosecuted. Website moderators have the right to censor offensive comments on their sites. So with all of the feigned knowledge you attempted to deliver, the most basic facts of law escape you. Yet, you quote it in quite an ignorant way.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE STILL IN DENIAL: The ruling classes of Western Europe were able to conquer the world between 1400 and 1700 because of two distinct and soon powerfully combined technological developments; the gun and the ship of enslavement. These two developments combined to produce the cast iron cannon and ships for the sea. According to Marcus Rediker, in his book Slave Ship, A Human History, the ship of enslavement was “the historic vessel (engine) for the emergence of capitalism, a new an unprecedented social and economic system that remade large parts of the world beginning in the late 15th century. The historical record shows it as the first major engine of capitalism that restructured the division of labor and wealth, and thereby, the world. Ships mounted with cannons were the vessel of terror. Like a machine it transformed the lives of Africans and Europeans alike. Europeans came to America freely with a design of a new way of life in their hearts and minds.” Africans were kidnapped and shipped in chains with their life design already made, in the hearts and minds of Europeans. So terrifying was this technology that it forced Africans to worship Jesus Christ. No other metal product of African enslavement were of more great consequence, ruthless or irreversible than the gun. Firearms of all types were mass-produced to the standards of that period. The end result developed what is now the U.S. high-tech multi-billion-dollar weapons industry which has no equal. Africa was the most important overseas target of guns from Europe and America. Guns in Africa were used to kill, capture, and enslave. Over the course of the 18th century, the Gold Coast was de-populated BY FORCE AND TERRORISM of untold millions of Africans.

Democrats owned slaves, Republicans fought to eradicate it, you ignorant bombs! I'm African American and I do believe this country owes an apology! Now reparations, I'm unsure, it is in the past, however, we must not forget it, but we must move past it!

This falls short of telling the Truth. That we so called blacks are in fact Truly Moors who were enslved right here on our native land "America" Even though you all have not owned slaves, you are the sons of the slave Masters that benefit from the continued discrimination of Moors here today.

I feel an apology was needed, but just saying "I'm sorry" does not do anything. Maybe no reparations in form of money should be given, but a museum in honor for those who had to suffer through the years of slavery. Maybe a day so we can bow our heads and remember those who have lost their lives from this horrible memory in our country's past. Even though we are not the direct cause or the victims of this crime we could still share our sorrows.

i bet the girls on this web page look good so give me a call

We are not free from slavery, we are actually still slaves but now only in a political sense..... Some people just can't seem to understand, the world we live in today, is all an illusion, and nothing is what it really seems..wake up and open your eyes, all Americans, except those who are no longer in the dark are imprisoned physiologically..... And the reason for Blacks being in slavery was because they knew that we were the "GOD'S CHOSEN RACE" and they had to learn how to deteriorate our minds in order to control us as a people. They studied us for years and used our weakness against us,which is our pride, that God has forbidden.

Lets face it folks. Some blacks way over in Africa sold blacks to white people. Maybe they were a warring tribe or any enemy. But the blacks who sold the first blacks started the ball rolling. There was no such thing as Freedom way back then. Myself I want to just learn from this time in our history and go forward never to repeat it again. We are all one in the eyes of God. We are also all of us here Americans.

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