[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 90 (Thursday, July 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1223-E1224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RESOLUTION APOLOGIZING FOR SLAVERY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TONY P. HALL

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 12, 2000

  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I include the following remarks for 
the Record.


                              Introduction

  In 1865, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, ``When they have abolished 
slavery, the moderns still have to eradicate a much more intangible and 
tenacious prejudice--the prejudice of race. Differences [between races] 
have lasted for centuries, and they still subsist in very many places; 
everywhere they have left traces which, though imaginary, time is 
hardly able to obliterate. I see slavery is in retreat, but the 
prejudice from which it arose is immovable.''
  Those words, written over a century ago, unfortunately still ring 
true today.


                      Why I introduced the apology

  A few years ago, I saw a television program with a black minister and 
a white minister commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday. They 
mentioned that there had never been an official apology for slavery. 
With the Civil War, with all that President Abraham Lincoln achieved, 
and with the Civil Rights Movement's successes, I found that hard to 
believe.
  So I went to the Library of Congress and discovered that they were 
right--no one in the Government of the United States had ever 
apologized for slavery. I set out to correct this glaring omission in 
history, and in 1997, I introduced my simple resolution without much 
fanfare.
  What happened next was a complete surprise. Debate about my 
resolution erupted at about the same time President Clinton began his 
``National Dialogue on Race.'' Some dismissed it as ``a meaningless 
gesture'' or ``an avoidance of problem-solving.'' Some felt, as I still 
do, that this apology was overdue.
  I received hundreds of letters and phone calls about the apology. 
Many of the people I heard from opposed the idea and some were outright 
hateful.
  I know that my resolution will not fix the lingering injustices that 
were and are slavery's legacy. But, in any human relationship, 
reconciliation begins with an apology. I hope the official apology my 
resolution seeks will be the start of a new healing between the people 
of our country.
  After taking care of my District, I focus on hunger and human rights. 
I have seen these problems in communities around our nation and the 
world, but I am not an expert on issues of race. What I do know, 
because I have seen it in rich and poor communities alike, is that 
there are deep divisions in our country's past and our present.
  My faith leads me to a clear purpose for my life: to love God, and to 
love others as I would love myself. I know that I would not want my 
children sold as slaves. I know that it would

[[Page E1224]]

tear me apart if my wife was taken from my arms and given to another 
man. I know that I would be angry if I was beaten, whipped and killed 
because of the color of my skin. I do not want that for my neighbors, 
whether they live down the street or half a world away.
  Americans have tried to heal our race problems many times before 
today, but perhaps we can find more lasting solutions if we change our 
approach. We have started new programs, invested money, and written 
countless reports. But, I say with respect, that has not been enough. 
We need to acknowledge the past, recognize the present, and hope for 
the future.


                     Why we still need to apologize

                            Personal Reasons

  There are numerous reasons why Congress should apologize for its role 
in promoting and sustaining slavery. First, it is the right thing to 
do. If you offend your spouse or a friend, you have to say you are 
sorry in order to go forward in your relationship. It is so basic that 
we teach our kids from an early age--say you are sorry, or you can't 
play anymore; apologize, or you have to go to your room.
  These three words--I am sorry--are a foundation for beginning again, 
a small price to pay for restoring lost trust, and a necessary first 
step in moving forward constructively.
  Others have said it better.
  ``An apology would show that my government and president believe the 
enslavement of Africans for national gain was a grave and revolting 
wrong. It will document in stone for years to come the country's 
repentance for a tremendous crime. It is the right thing to do,'' a 
woman wrote to me in 1997.
  ``The fact that you want to apologize, says to me personally, that 
you recognize and accept my pain, the pain of my ancestors, and that 
you care about it,'' another letter said, ``. . . in my lifetime, no 
one has done that.''
  ``A general expression of sorrow is the starting point of any healing 
process,'' a journalist for USA Today said. ``Of course, an apology has 
to be followed by serious acts of contrition, but any attempt at 
reconciliation that begins without one cannot be taken seriously.''
  I was most heartened by the thoughtful people like Clarence Page of 
the Chicago Tribune, whose first reaction was ``why should we 
apologize?'' but who came, to the conclusion, ``why shouldn't we?''
  This apology will not solve all of the problems, but it will begin 
new progress on issues that still divide Americans. It is never too 
late to admit a wrong and to ask for forgiveness. In giving those our 
nation wronged the dignity of this honest admission, we might all enjoy 
some measure of healing. And it will set the right example for our 
children.

                           Historical Reasons

  Another reason to apologize for slavery is the historical precedent 
it will set. There have been many public apologies offered in recent 
years. In 1988, Congress apologized to Japanese-Americans for 
imprisoning them during World War II. In 1993, Congress offered a 
formal apology to native Hawaiians for the role the United States 
played in overthrowing the Kingdom of Hawaii a century before.
  Other countries have also apologized: Britain's Prime Minister 
apologized to Irish people for failing to help the millions of people 
who suffered and died during the great potato famine of the 19th 
century. East Germany's legislature issued an apology for the 
atrocities committed against the Jews during the Holocaust. Japan's 
emperor formally apologized to Korea for its conduct during its 
colonial period.
  Slavery has been an important focus of recent apologies. In 1993, 
Pope John Paul II apologized for the Catholic Church's support for 
slavery, and for the violence of the 16th Century Counter Reformation. 
In 1994, the State of Florida apologized and paid reparations for its 
role in the 1923 Rosewood riots. The same year, the Southern Baptist 
Convention apologized for its past support of slavery. In 1999, the 
United Methodist Church's West Ohio Conference called for white 
Methodists to apologize for their ancestors' role in slavery.
  Unfortunately, America's history is littered with many examples of 
missed opportunities to address the ``peculiar institution'' of 
slavery. When our Founding Fathers declared that ``all men are created 
equal,'' we could have truly included everyone. When we established the 
Constitution as the rule of law for our new country, we could have 
treated slaves as full and equal, instead of treating them as three-
fifths of a person. When the Supreme Court made its rulings, when our 
nation amended the Constitution, or when Congress wrote Civil Rights 
laws--at any of these moments in our history, we could have apologized 
for slavery. But we failed, and now we must go back and finish our 
history's chapter on slavery.


                               Conclusion

  Last December, at the invitation of Benin's President, I attended a 
conference he convened on slavery and reconciliation. As I told the 
many dignitaries who attended, the tragedy of slavery and the curse 
that came with it will not simply disappear with time. All of us live 
with the legacy of slavery. Africans' descendants suffer from the guilt 
of having sold their brothers and sisters, and the effects of 
exploitation. Europeans' descendants are cursed with a divided society, 
blind to the fact that our own privilege perpetuates that division, and 
unaware of the need to repent. And African-Americans are plagued by the 
remnants of the institution of slavery and the consequences of 
bitterness.
  Apologizing is humbling. To admit to a wrong, you expose your wounds 
and warts for all the world to see. But the United States is a great 
country, and it should be big enough to admit its mistakes. And it 
should be wise enough to do whatever is necessary to heal its 
divisions. I believe this apology is faithful to our past, and 
essential to our future.

                            H. Con. Res. 356

       Acknowledging the fundamental injustice, cruelty, 
     brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and 
     the 13 American colonies, and for other purposes.
       Whereas approximately 4,000,000 Africans and their 
     descendants were enslaved in the United States and the 13 
     American colonies in the period 1619 through 1865;
       Whereas slavery was a grave injustice that caused and 
     continues to cause African-Americans to suffer enormous 
     damages and losses, both material and intangible, including 
     the loss of human dignity and liberty, the frustration of 
     careers and professional lives, and the long-term loss of 
     income and opportunity;
       Whereas slavery in the United States denied African-
     Americans the fruits of their own labor and was an immoral 
     and inhumane deprivation of life, liberty, the pursuit of 
     happiness, citizenship rights, and cultural heritage;
       Whereas, although the achievements of African-Americans in 
     overcoming the evils of slavery stand as a source of 
     tremendous inspiration, the successes of slaves and their 
     descendants do not overwrite the failure of the Nation to 
     grant all Americans their birthright of equality and the 
     civil rights that safeguard freedom;
       Whereas an apology is an important and necessary step in 
     the process of racial reconciliation, because a sincere 
     apology accompanied by an attempt at real restitution is an 
     important healing interaction;
       Whereas a genuine apology may restore damaged 
     relationships, whether they are between 2 people or between 
     groups of people;
       Whereas African-American art, history, and culture reflects 
     experiences of slavery and freedom, and continued struggles 
     for full recognition of citizenship and treatment with human 
     dignity, and there is inadequate presentation, preservation, 
     and recognition of the contributions of African-Americans 
     within American society;
       Whereas there is a great need for building institutions and 
     monuments to promote cultural understanding of African-
     American heritage and further enhance racial harmony;
       Whereas it is proper and timely for the Congress to 
     recognize June 19, 1865, the historic day when the last group 
     of slaves were informed of their freedom, to acknowledge the 
     historic significance of the abolition of slavery, to express 
     deep regret to African-Americans, and to support 
     reconciliation efforts: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),
       That the Congress--
       (A) acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, 
     brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and 
     the 13 American colonies;
       (B) apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people 
     of the United States, for the wrongs committed against their 
     ancestors who suffered as slaves;
       (C) expresses condemnation of and repudiates the gross and 
     wanton excesses perpetrated against African-Americans while 
     the institution of slavery existed;
       (D) recognizes the Nation's need to redress these events;
       (E) commends efforts of reconciliation initiated by 
     organizations and individuals concerned about civil rights 
     and civil liberties and calls for a national initiative of 
     reconciliation among the races; and
       (F) expresses commitment to rectify misdeeds of slavery 
     done in the past and to discourage the occurrence of human 
     rights violations in the future; and
       (2) it is the sense of the Congress that--
       (A) a commission should be established--
       (1) to examine the institution of slavery, subsequent 
     racial and economic discrimination against African-Americans 
     as a matter of law and as a matter of fact, and the impact of 
     slavery and such discrimination on living African-Americans;
       (ii) to issue a standardized, historical curriculum for use 
     in public schools on the institution of slavery in the United 
     States; and
       (iii) to explore the possibility of establishing a 
     scholarship and research fund; and
       (B) a National museum and memorial should be established 
     regarding slavery as it relates to the history of the United 
     States, and other significant African-American history.





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