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Monday, June 22, 2009 | 11:10am
Russell Simmons says Government Apology for Slavery is Beginning of Healing Process
Do you Buy It?
Last week African Americans remembered Juneteenth, June 19th 1865 slavery was legally abolished in the U.S. . On The same day last week the United States Senate formally apologized for Slavery, but decided that monetary reparations would not be paid to descendants of slaves ( Because they Know money=power). Russel Simmons who recently has been named United Nations’ Goodwill Ambassador for the Permanent Memorial to the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (What a Title!) Says that this is the beginning of the healing process for African Americans. In a post on his blog global grind Simmons reflects on the importance of the apology and what we should do as a people moving forward. My Question to the NATION is: Do you agree?
Today, we celebrate Juneteenth, a day commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery on June 19, 1865. Yesterday, after 144 years, the United States Senate apologized for slavery. With a unanimous vote, America has begun her healing process. For our country will never be able to heal itself without atoning for the sins of our past. We have finally recognized that in order for us to move forward as a people in this beautiful nation, we need to acknowledge the pain that we all have suffered because of slavery. The pain has lasted for the past 144 years, and now with our government taking the right step in apologizing, I know that we can begin to heal. The effects of slavery on our communities have been devastating. The devastation does not stop because of the apology; however these are words that we needed to hear. We all needed to hear. This was a day that many of us have dreamed about for our entire lives. This was a day that many who were at the forefront of this struggle could not enjoy because they are no longer with us. And for those heroes, I go to work every day to make sure that they are never forgotten. With my newly appointed position as the United Nations’ Goodwill Ambassador for the Permanent Memorial to the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, I vow to work on behalf of our young people to make sure that we never have to feel this sort of pain again. As we all know, slavery and human trafficking exist all around the world, at record numbers. We must remember the past, however we also must work to prevent our mistakes from happening again in the present and the future. I will work even harder in my roles as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, and I urge you all to take a moment to recognize the importance of the actions of the United States Senate. Let the healing continue…
Yours Truly,
His Excellency Ambassador Russell Simmons
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I agree with this being a beginning. However, if it took 144 years for an apology to come, how long will it take for JUSTICE to start? I believe this is the bigger question: what is justice? who gets to decide what it means to you and me? Is money the solution? The Japanese were awarded money after what they endured (which was VERY MILD, as compared to the slavery endured by Africans in America). After the Jewish Holocaust, the Israeli were set up in their own nation (never mind that there were people already living there) and an infrastructure was built and billions upon billions have been (and continue to be) given to them by Germany and the U.S. So, what is JUSTICE for us, after 400 years of the worst treatment any people have endured in history? Can a price be put on that? Pragmatically speaking, I can use a couple of million. The fine print and legalities would make it virtually impossible to come up with a criteria, then a $ number, and then the actual cash to hand out. This country is broke!
Please excuse my rant…I could go on and on!!!
This country could never be broke, no matter what “they” tell you. On another note ur absolutely right when you talk about the “Justice” aspect of this whole issue. It’s one thing to offer an apology its a totally different thing to give people the tools that they need to uplift themselves out of their current situation. As I said in the post money=power. Dr King’s platform right before he was assassinated was switching from civil rights to economic equality, That’s the part of the dream that has been forgotten or deferred, depending on how you look at it. So congress and apology is cool , but until you’re ready to talk reparations it’s all for show.
I dunno. There’s the element of whether this was a “sincere” apology. Actions speak louder than words. That’s all I’m going to say. But I don’t support reparations because “teaching men how to fish” is much more important than giving them fish. However, there’s no access to the fishing creek to begin with. So, I want equal opportunities for the next generation of kids more than I want another refund check to go waste in one weekend.