Friday, March 09, 2007

Slavery: Trying to atone, but why now?


MSNBC.com
Slavery: Trying to atone, but why now?
Politics, history help explain groundswell of apology for ‘peculiar institution’
ANALYSIS
The Associated Press
Updated: 7:11 a.m. MT March 9, 2007
America is once again struggling to atone for slavery and its aftermath.

In a nation with an unquenchable need to analyze its racial past, there is now a fresh flow of contrition from public officials for the many wrongs of U.S. history.

Inspired by a resolution apologizing for slavery that Virginia legislators passed last month, black lawmakers in Georgia said Thursday they plan to introduce a similar measure there. Maryland and Missouri also are discussing an apology. And so far, a white Memphis congressman has gathered 36 co-sponsors for a bill that, if passed, would bring an apology to the federal level.

The FBI announced last week it is actively reinvestigating about a dozen cases of blacks slain in the 1950s and '60s as possible civil rights violations. As many as 100 more cases are being considered for similar treatment....

Click title to read rest of story. -Angela


URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17522875/from/ET/

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