APOLOGY ACCEPTED

In February, the Commonwealth of Virginia made an effort toward racial reconciliation by issuing an apology for slavery. This was done by a unanimous decision of the Virginia House of Delegates, who expressed “profound regret” for Virginia’s role in the slave trade. The measure also cleared a state Senate committee. Gen. Robert E. Lee, Commander of the Confederate Army, was from Virginia and Richmond was the Confederate capitol, which made the

apology extremely notable. Noteworthy is also the fact that the Virginia House once started each day with a salute to the Confederate flag that symbolized the state’s heritage.

The vote was taken to promote racial reconciliation as the 400^th anniversary of the founding of the settlement at Jamestown, Virginia approaches. Using strong language, the resolution calls slavery “an immoral institution” that “ranks as the most horrendous of all depredations of

human rights and violations of our founding ideals in our nation’s history.” I couldn’t agree more.

Sponsored by two Black Virginia Democrats, Delegate Donald McEachin and Sen. Henry Marsh III, the resolution goes on to express the General Assembly’s “profound regret for the Commonwealth’s role in sanctioning the immoral institution of human slavery, in the historic wrongs visited upon native peoples, and in all other forms of discrimination and injustice that have been rooted in racial and cultural bias and misunderstanding.”

A colleague of mine, Rev. Earl Carter, authored a book entitled, No Apology Necessary; however, the Virginia legislation is an example of taking a difficult step on the path to atonement. One of the hardest things to do is to publicly admit fault to those who were

ill-affected by wrongful behavior. It is unfortunate that the act of contrition was almost undone by seventy-nine year old Virginia Republican Delegate, Frank Hargrove, who stated that Virginians have no responsibility for slavery, and that “Black citizens should just get over it.” Further inflammatory commentary by the lawmaker included his remarks: “Are we going to force the Jews to apologize for killing Christ?”

After much criticism, Hargrove eventually voted in favor of the apology, but not before he asked his colleagues to support his own resolution establishing an annual “Juneteenth” observance that celebrates the end of slavery in an effort to make up for his blunder. That resolution would designate the third Saturday in June as “Juneteenth Freedom Day” in Virginia. It would recognize the June 19, 1865 date on which a Union general ordered the freeing of remaining slaves in Galveston, Texas, the last vestige of slavery after the Civil War. While I agree that official designations of Juneteenth as a holiday are appropriate, I don’t believe Blacks need White

authorization to recognize Juneteenth, which was declared a holiday by the Texas slaves themselves, who—upon hearing that a Union General had read the Emancipation Proclamation in the Port of Galveston freeing them— commenced to celebrate in the fields, walking off, leaving their tools behind.

The Virginia apology for slavery is a step in the right direction, toward repentance, atonement and forgiveness. It should be a model for other states and for the federal government to also confess and apologize for slavery... “the most horrendous of all depredations of human rights and violations of our founding ideals in our nation’s history.”

Americans, government bodies, corporations and individuals must acknowledge the wrongs of slavery and its lasting effects if healing is to ever take place. The Bible says confession is good for the soul.