Today, the House of Representatives will consider H.Res.194, an apology for slavery and Jim Crow which I introduced in February 2007. This resolution, which is cosponsored by more than ¼ of House members, acknowledges the long and painful history of slavery in America and its successor, Jim Crow. Moreover, Congress played an important role, either through legislation or inaction, in sustaining both of these noxious institutions. Several states and the United Kingdom have expressed regret for their roles in slavery or the transatlantic slave trade. Australia has apologized to its Aborigines for the mistreatment they received at the hands of the Australian government for much of the last century. In light of these facts, it is long past time for Congress to issue an apology for slavery and Jim Crow, and I look forward to the House adopting this historic measure later today.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 at 11:22 am and is filed under Uncategorized .