Tuesday, July 29, 2008

House apologizes for slavery, 'Jim Crow' injustices

CNN.com
July 29, 2008

Story Highlights:
It is the first time federal government has apologized for slavery
House acknowledges "injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity" of slavery
Resolution states that effects of slavery and Jim Crow are still present today
Measure does not address the issue of reparations

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution apologizing to African-Americans for slavery and the era of Jim Crow.
The nonbinding resolution, which passed on a voice vote, was introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen, a white lawmaker who represents a majority black district in Memphis, Tennessee.
While many states have apologized for slavery, it is first time a branch of the federal government has done so, an aide to Cohen said.
In passing the resolution, the House also acknowledged the "injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow."
"Jim Crow," or Jim Crow laws, were state and local laws enacted mostly in the Southern and border states of the United States between the 1870s and 1965, when African-Americans were denied the right to vote and other civil liberties and were legally segregated from whites.
The name "Jim Crow" came from a character played by T.D. "Daddy" Rice who portrayed a slave while in blackface during the mid-1800s.
The resolution states that "the vestiges of Jim Crow continue to this day."
"African-Americans continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow -- long after both systems were formally abolished -- through enormous damage and loss, both tangible 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," the resolution states.
The House also commited itself to stopping "the occurrence of human rights violations in the future."
The resolution does not address the controversial issue of reparations. [To read the entire story, go to: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/29/house.slavery/index.html?eref=time_us ]

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