Saying Sorry: Congress Apologizes for Blocking Anti-Lynching Legislation in the Past

On June 13, 2005, the Senate officially apologized for its history of blocking legislation that would have made lynching of African Americans a federal crime.

The apology underscores the various functions of the Senate -- it operates not only as a lawmaking body, but also as an historical reference point.

Many lawmakers felt that the apology was a necessity, a first step towards healing and awareness. But eight lawmakers did not join in, and each had his own reasons.

8 dissents

Eight Republican lawmakers did not express regret for the Senate’s repeated rejection of anti-lynching legislation that was passed by the House of Representatives.

Lamar Alexander of Tennessee; Thad Cochran of Mississippi; John Cornyn of Texas; Judd Gregg and John Sununu of New Hampshire; Trent Lott of Mississippi; and Craig Thomas and Mike Enzi of Wyoming all refused to back the resolution.

Some Senators, like Sununu, Gregg, and Enzi, said they simply did not want to co-sponsor the resolution through a voice vote, even though the voice vote allowed Senators to avoid going on record.

Others, like Cochran, Cornyn, and Lott, questioned the purpose of official apologies and resented the notion of recanting for misdeeds that they themselves did not commit.

Senator Alexander felt that the Senate’s energy would be better spent on practical legislation, like new education and health care laws that benefit African Americans. And Barak Obama (D- Illinois), the lone African American Senator, did not entirely disagree.

During the debate, Obama urged his fellow Senators to go beyond the apology by working to close racial gaps in education, health care, and income. But unlike Alexander, Obama voted for the measure and called it a promising beginning.

Saying sorry

Congress has issued other formal apologies in the recent past.

In 1988, Congress apologized for the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and offered $20,000 to each surviving internee. In 1990, Congress expressed its regret to uranium miners who were injured by nuclear testing. In 1993, legislators issued a formal apology for the U.S. government’s overthrow of native Hawaiians.

Clearly, these apologies are largely symbolic, but they also represent tangible political change.

What does it mean for the Senate to recognize its own shortcomings on racial policy? Do you think that Congress should apologize for its mistakes? Does saying sorry have a real and important effect? Should Congress apologize for slavery?

What do you think?

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Update Posted on: 6/29/2005