The US Senate’s unanimous decision last week to pass a resolution apologising for slavery and all forms of racial segregation is historic, and must be welcomed.
Since slavery was abolished at the end of the American civil war in 1865, pressure has been mounted by African-Americans and leaders around the world for the US to apologise for its crimes. That moment finally arrived on 18 June – the eve of Juneteenth, which marks the end of the civil war.
We believe that this resolution by the US Senate is both significant and symbolic, and especially so in a year that saw the swearing in of America’s first African-American president.
Commenting on the resolution, President Barack Obama said: “African-Americans helped to build our nation brick by brick, and have contributed to her growth in every way, even when rights and liberties were denied to them.” Indeed, there can be no doubt that the United States would not be what it is today without the contributions of African-Americans.
It is somewhat disappointing that the resolution does not address the controversial issue of reparations for slavery. However, we believe that this apology is a first step towards future compensation – not necessarily in monetary terms.
As President Obama prepares to attend a ceremony next month to mark this historic decision, we urge him to publicly support the need for reparations. It would go a long way to make good some of the wrongs committed against African-Americans and others in the history of their nation.
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