So, as you probably heard by now, an apology has been formally issued for slavery and all its injustices. While I understand what they are trying to accomplish, that's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.
While I could rant about my stance on the matter, I think most of my thoughts have been summed up quite nicely in an article I found written by Katrina Browne (a White woman, which will be apparent as you read my snippets):
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/19/browne.slavery/index.html
A particular point that stood out to me:
I think the last paragraph of that drives home exactly why I think the apology is useless. "I'm sorry" is not going to bring better schools to poor neighborhoods. "I'm sorry" is not going to give me access to those "certain" jobs that seem to continue to be dominated by the same group. "I'm sorry" is not going undo the labeling and stereotypes derived from racism that cause men to empty 59 shots into a man lying on the ground."It now feels really natural to want to express regret -- not an apology (that's for institutions; Congress was right to step forward) but deep regret and sadness about what happened, fellow citizen to fellow citizen. I try to imagine what it would be like if we went so far as to extend tenderness toward each other. We could actually all use more of it when we're talking about race, racism and anything to do with slavery.
"Instead, we are full of protestations, distrust, dismissiveness, resentments. For those of us who are white, what's the resistance really about? It may be, at core, that we don't want to feel guilty or blamed or responsible for the outrage of slavery. I didn't.
"But here's the funny thing: While we white Americans are busy establishing our innocence, it turns out that many black Americans are not personally angry at us for slavery. Many do want authentic acknowledgement of what happened, but not for the sake of guilt-tripping. I've witnessed a generosity of spirit that I have been humbled by.
"Meanwhile, many African-Americans are upset about the disparate outcomes that persist and want to see everyone step up to address them. There are so many lingering "structural inequalities," as President Obama put it -- ones without clear racist villains but that are embedded, like the fact that schools are funded with property taxes, so poor black neighborhoods, the legacy of earlier eras of discrimination, are not able to fund the quality schools that we say all our children deserve."
I understand the motives of the apology, I just think it was a waste of time and effort. We all know it was wrong, and understand that the lines of communication need to be opened. However, time and effort is better spent addressing the effects of slavery today instead of apologizing for yesterday.
My feeling is that I was never enslaved, so I can not even begin to attest to knowing what it was like to be in that position, and doing so would be ignorant and disrespectful. But I do know that my life has been heavily influenced by my ancestors and my position in society has been shaped largely by that same history.
To close, I want to note that I am not blind to the progress being made. Barack Obama is indeed the Jackie Robinson of this era. However, I look to the position of the common Joe and feel there is much more to be attained.
Much more than which an apology will suffice.
NT
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