Episcopal Church to apologize for slavery

At the end of July, the House of Representatives issued an apology for the wrongs committed against black Americans and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws.

“Today represents a milestone in our nation’s efforts to remedy the ills of our past,” said Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The resolution was introduced by Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen, the only white lawmaker to represent a majority black district.

The resolution calls on the House to rectify “the lingering consequences of the misdeeds committed against African-Americans under slavery and Jim Crow”, saying that Africans forced into slavery “were brutalized, humiliated, dehumanized and subjected to the indignity of being stripped of their names and heritage” and that black Americans today continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow laws that fostered discrimination and segregation.



“I hope that this is part of the beginning of a dialogue that this country needs to engage in, concerning what the effects of slavery and Jim Crow have been. I think we started it and we’re going to continue,” Cohen said.

According to Cohen, a total of 120 lawmakers, including two Republicans, co-sponsored the resolution.

In more recent news, the Episcopal Church will hold a “Day of Repentance” to publicly apologize for its involvement in the slave trade. Mandate by a 2006 resolution at the church’s General Convention, the ceremony will take place Oct. 3–4 in Philadelphia.

“We hope to set a model for other denominations about how to face this dark, tragic part of our history because we believe that only when you repent can you move on,” said Jayne Oasin, program officer for the church’s Anti-Racism and Gender Equality program.