Black Students at University of Maryland Demand Apology for Slavery

It seems like demanding an apology for slavery is becoming commonplace in our society. The latest group to jump on the bandwagon is a group of black students from the University of Maryland, College Park. In light of the recent revelation that slaves helped to build the university, without any type of acknowledgement, some Black students have called for President C. Dan Mote, to issue a formal apology for the institution's use of slave labor. I am now awaiting those descendants of the slaves who helped to build the White House to seek President Barack Obama's apology for the use of slave labor.

The university held a forum, "Release of a New Study on Slavery and UM Early History" Mon., Oct. 9 and remarks were made by Mote, noted historian Ira Berlin, the Rev. L. Jerome Fowler, a descendant of one of the Blacks who played a role in the early years of the university-Adam Plummer, university curator Elizabeth McAllister and Dottie Chicquelo, assistant director of the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education and president of the Black faculty and staff organization.

The study, "Knowing Our History,” which was produced by an undergraduate class taught by Berlin and Herbert Brewer, a graduate student, delves into the origins of the University of Maryland, with passages that explore the origins of slavery in Europe and how it evolved into a lucrative, worldwide enterprise that reached into the Americas. Source: The Washington Informer

So, some students say that he should apologize and give credit to those who sacrificed their labor. I do agree that our forefathers were brought here through no will of their own and subjected to denigration for eons, but what good will an apology do? The perpetrators of this unspeakable injustice have dead for eons.

The University of Maryland was founded by wealthy plantation owner Charles Calvert as the Maryland Agriculture College in 1856. Classes began at the institution in 1859 and, with the norms of 19th century America, excluded women and Blacks. However, in the "Overview and Appreciation" section of the publication, released in August 2009, Berlin pointed out that the issue of slave labor was discussed during the building of the institution. This was particularly relevant because the school's first president, Benjamin Hallowell, was opposed to slavery. He was told by Calvert and the board of trustees that slave labor would not be used in the construction of the university. Hallowell resigned one month into his term as president and while the publication does not say directly that it was tied to slavery, there is an inference of it.

"...although the evidence points elsewhere," Berlin said. "Slavery was the elephant in the room, which everyone recognized but no one could acknowledge. Political necessities may have forced both Calvert and Hallowell to avoid the direct discussion of slavery, but slavery's omnipresence-as a source of wealth, status and labor-made it clear that slaves were no silent partner in the establishment of the Maryland Agriculture College." Source: The Washington Informer

I agree that is it important to acknowledge the contribution of African Americans in American history, but I still don't get why apologizing for slavery will change how we feel in any way. Slavery was an abhorrent practice and no matter how it is viewed, it will forever be a stain on America's storied history. As a country, we all shared in the benefits and the tragedies of that dark era. As a country, I am sure most of us are remorseful of the suffering and injustices perpetuated upon our African American foreparents and even today when isolated cases of racism occur, but I still cannot say that an apology for slavery will change anything.