House Editorial: Words alone won’t heal the age-old wounds of slavery
At this point, an apology from the commonwealth is too little too late
Posted on January 22, 2007

Blacks should get over slavery. At least, that’s what Del. Frank Hargrove Sr., R-55th District, told Virginia House members last week.

Del. A. Donald McEachin, D-74th District, said Hargrove’s comments were “insensitive” and is sponsoring a resolution that would have Virginia issue an official apology to African-Americans for the institution of slavery.

McEachin, who is black, says the resolution will ask the commonwealth of Virginia to apologize because the citizens are the ones that benefited from slavery. He calls it “state-sponsored racism,” and believes a “we’re sorry” will be the bandage that covers an ages-old wound. 

Hargrove, on the other hand, says the institution of slavery ended more than 100 years ago and bringing up old feelings would only be harmful to society. He also says making the state apologize for slavery would be as ridiculous as making the Jews apologize for “killing Christ.”

A state-sponsored apology certainly will not wipe the slate clean, as there are no actual slaves still around to accept that apology.

Arthur Dean, director of the Center for Multicultural Student Services, said some African-Americans still feel the direct impact of “institutionalized racism.” This can be said of any minority oppressed throughout history. Even Hillary Clinton, potential candidate for the 2008 presidential election, is receiving backlash for being the first female in the race to the presidency. Does this mean all men should apologize to all women for withholding the vote until 1920? Not so much.

At some point in the genealogy of most human beings, their ancestors have been enslaved at one point of another, and that slavery was, in most cases, a state-sponsored one. The Romans enslaved other races for almost 500 years during their imperial run. Should Egypt apologize to Israel for its enslavement of Hebrews prior to when Moses and a couple of plagues got Ramses II to let his people go? Should the Dutch go door-to-door in Africa?

At every point in history — including now — a group of people has been enslaved for one reason or another. Today no African-American in the United States was a slave at any point in his or her life, which makes the apology, in a word, easy. And words are just that: words. Anyone can apologize. Toddlers do it all the time. What makes governments noble — and most importantly men — are actions.

Had the apology been more concurrent, like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission organized under Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa following apartheid, it could possibly have a more pragmatic effect. But the United States lost that chance at least 130 years ago, and we as a multi-ethnic society have been suffering the repercussions of those unhealed wounds ever since.

The Virginia legislature, which is comprised of men and women who had nothing to do with slavery or its implementation, can apologize, but it won’t mean much. What the state government and other governments worldwide should be doing is taking steps to prevent slavery from being perpetuated instead of just doing what’s easy.