I received the following via email from Pat Morton, a long-time resident of Norfolk. With her permission, I share her perspective with you.
I have lots of stuff going on in my head about this. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but at 54 years old I am old enough to remember the “white” and the “colored” bathrooms at Ames & Brownley’s downtown, along with the water fountains for that matter. I saw the bathrooms when I was with my grandmother, I couldn’t have been more than 6 years old, if that old. I wanted to go to the “colored” bathroom because if it was “colored” it was surely more fun than just plain. I’m sure I mortified her when I made a fuss about it.
I also remember not being allowed to sit at the back of the bus – I wanted to sit on the long bench seat at the very back and look out the back window, but my mother wouldn’t let me, the white people didn’t sit back there. Again I was 6 or younger I’m thinking.
I remember when I moved to Colonial Place in 1976 or so my great-uncle having some awful things to say about the mixed neighborhood.
I remember horrible racial things happening at Blair, but then they all got better at Maury. Not perfect, but really a lot better and I was naïve enough to believe that things were finally going to be okay. That was 1968-1970. Hah.
I have never, ever understood any of it. Obviously I have nowhere near a black person’s perspective on any of this, but I can tell you I have been as hurt as any white person can be by all of it and I will never understand how these white people cannot grasp at least a part of this.
Apologize for slavery? Hell, yes. If it wasn’t for slavery, none of the things that offended me – and offended every single black person, which goes without saying – would have ever happened. It doesn’t matter that no one alive today was or had slaves, what matters is the things I’ve experienced in my lifetime that were a result of it and, WAY more importantly, the things blacks have experienced and continue to experience. What in the hell is it about a freakin’ APOLOGY that could be wrong??
Thanks, Pat. You obviously get it.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
“I guess both of y’all missed the fact that Pat is white.”
And where did I say I thought Pat was black? I read what she wrote. Vivian, do not try to read too much into what I say.
And Pat, if your response to me is to shut up, rather than actually engaging in a debate with me, then I can see that there is no point in trying to reason with you. But hey, who needs reason when emotion and haste can be used in making a decision?
If a child born to Blacks after the Jim Crow laws are affected by them, and past slavery, but the child of the African immigrants is not, then it is the parents teaching, not society’s, that is at fault.
Proof that you know nothing of what you speak. Do you know any black people, Jack? I mean, real, live, breathing black folk and not just somebody on the internet. Because a statement like that demonstrates to me that you don’t – you can’t possibly.
Kathy – thanks for your comments.
Okay, it appears that haste is my mistake too. Pat, I notice a categorization by skin today too, but it differs from what you have discussed. Today, for example, were the AFC and NFC championship games. One of the most common things I have heard recently is the fact that one (or both) of the champions could be the first black coach (or coaches) in the Super Bowl. Sure, an interesting fact, but Coaches Dungy and Smith are more than just a skin color. Yet, I doubt this is something we are going to hear conservatives talk about; rather, it strikes me as something we will hear from more liberal voices. And yet, Democrats are the greater part of the representatives who want to apologize. I feel no guilt of what happened because I bear no responsibility. I never owned a slave, and never will; why should I be made to feel as though I had?
I look at a black person and see no difference. I mean, certainly, there is a physical difference, and I would feel no guilt to describe someone physically as such. However, if everytime someone feels slighted because of what happened six or seven generations ago, how are we ever going to see everyone as truly equal? Do we want racial equality, or do we want white people to think of the apology for slavery everytime they see a black person?
I mean, I am Hispanic. Do you think it would be a good idea for the Commonwealth to apologize for showing Speedy Gonzalez cartoons (not that I really care)? The best thing we can do is learn our lessons from history, not dwell on them.
Are you equating the showing of a commercial with slavery & it’s aftermath?
Why am I not surprised? You can answer my question, or you can bash me for it. Vivian, slavery ended over 140 years ago. The only reason you feel bad about it is because you have allowed yourself to feel that way.
Or if you really feel that way, maybe it is time for you to demand that Egypt apologize for the slavery that nation utilized when building the pyramids. I mean, it was only 5,000 years ago; it could still be affecting some people.
If this seems insensitive, then for this, I apologize, but this need for the state to apologize strikes me as irrational, because nothing can be done now that can atone for what happened then. We simply have to learn the lessons history has taught us. And sometimes, a little forgiveness has to be given without an apology.
CR – from your earlier comment “The best thing we can do is learn our lessons from history, not dwell on them.”
CW re-enactors marched in one of our local 4th of July parade. I’m not so sure that African Americans choosing to re-enact their ancestral history in such a way would even be safe in many communities, much less welcome. I don’t think re-enactors dressed in blue would have been very safe or welcome either.
If we were at a place where all three of these groups were taken as history lessons from different perspectives having equivalent value – nothing more and nothing less – then I might agree that an apology is not all that necessary.
The essential argument for the apology boils down to this.
1. Something bad happened to some people’s ancestors, and these people feel bad about themselves. They feel rejected and cheated.
2. These people who feel bad want an apology from people who look like the people who abused their ancestors.
3. Since an apology is harmless, the General Assembly should act on behalf of the people who look like the people who abused the ancestors of the people who feel bad. The General Assembly should make the pretense of a heartfelt apology to the people who feel bad about themselves.
What it boils down to is that Blacks are going to get a certified worthless government apology. When Blacks realize how worthless this apology is, are they then going to ask for reparations. Before any of you decide to join the call for reparations, consider this. The people of the South who actually did engage in slavery have already been punished. That punishment we call the Civil War, and it left millions of dead and wounded. In all of American history, nothing else rivals the death and destruction caused by that war. After the Civil War, the South spent a century recovering from the devastation.
How much punishment do you want? To what end? When you have a wound, it heals because you disinfect it and let it heal. Vengeance does not cure it.
Let me make my point again.
There appears to me to be a agenda to establish a non-fact as “truth” – that being that today’s racial prejudices against those with dark skin color are due to slavery that no longer exists.
I know many people that have issues with people that are black – and this leads to their prejudice.
The issues have nothing to do with slavery – and everything to do with the actions of those now living that have willingly embraced a “black culture”; a culture that many object to.
Pat says she has witnessed bad acts towards blacks by non-blacks.
But Pat does not know WHY the people committing these bad acts – did so.
I don’t know either, but from my experience, “slavery” isn’t even on non-black’s radar screens.
But I sure am observing a whole lot of effort to try to put slavery back on the radar screens. And I believe that much of the push to do so is politically motivated.
But Reid – you’re white – of course you “don’t get it” – the “black culture” today is because of slavery. … see?
No, I don’t see. Not because I am not black – but because what i “see” is an excuse used to justify the actions of those now living based on things that happened long before they were born.
They are subjected to racial prejudice.
The prejudice exists because of what is happening today, not more than 140 years ago.
What I do “see’ – and what I do “get” is that the the politics of victimhood are alive and well … and the flames are being feed by political operatives who encourage people to never stop pouring more gas on a fire they feel helps their political objectives.
What I observe is that the General Assembly is a political entity. The GA can apologize all it wants. It only serves to help the political agenda in play.
What I don’t want to observe happening are the folks that stayed behind in New Orleans to loot turning around at their trial and having race-baiting lawyers make the case that the looters are only victims of a “culture” they cannot escape – because their long dead relatives might have been slaves – or someone they know had a long dead relative that was a slave.
I would imagine that Vivian doesn’t want to see that happen either.
Folks, I believe there are a lot a dupes caught up in this political strategy, many are sincere individuals – and they were cleverly manipulated into focusing on slavery without even knowing it.
Somewhere political strategists and their PR firends sit over drinks high-5-ing each other – Chesher Cat grins spreading broadly across their faces.
“It’s working!”, they laugh, “this slavery-thing’s got legs! Wo-hoo!”
“Nice world Cindy, now how do we get more milage out of this?”
And the beat goes on . . .
“Proof that you know nothing of what you speak. Do you know any black people, Jack? I mean, real, live, breathing black folk and not just somebody on the internet. Because a statement like that demonstrates to me that you don’t – you can’t possibly.”
You cannot counter my argument, so you attack me.
I do know Black people, have worked with some, and even went to Black bars after work with them. (Yes, they also voted me “Honorary White N****” — their words, not mine.)
I can’t tell the difference between someone whose family has been here for generations, and those who are recent immigrants. I doubt many people can. So how can society be treating them differently? If the outcomes are different, it must be the families that are raising their children differently.
Speaking of looting, are you guys among those thousands of freshly minted white boy millionairres who helped deplete our national assets over the last couple of years?
Big kudos to Pat & Vivian for being able to politely respond to the ignorance spewed on this thread. I do believe that talking about these issues are important, but when so much confident ignorance is brought to the table, well, I just can’t do it.
They’re too stupid to understand it, but at least a few commenters on this page are Grade A examples of why racism is still a huge problem in the US.
Jack – I warned you once about using that word on my blog. Your ability to participate here is a privilege and not a right. Consider this your second warning. If you do it again, you will be banned. I will not tolerate such language here.
You and some of the others here have done nothing but attack, repeating the oft-spoken lies about black folks and demonstrating that you have no clue about what being black in America entails.
And you all wonder why racism exists. You are a part of the problem.
Can we stick to the topic? Let’s address the apology the General Assembly is suppose to make. What useful purpose does it serve?
We don’t have to attack each other. If racisim is wrong, we do not have to pretend that being Black, White, Green, or Blue makes us “special.” There is no such thing as the experience of being Black — or White. What we each have is a cultural experience. That cultural experience may include the experience of being the victim of inappropriate discrimination. Such a thing is not so unique that the rest of us are incapable of feeling empathy. So cut the crap.
While it is appropriate to honor our ancestors and the heritage they have bequeathed us, it is own accomplishments that make us each of us special. So let us work on our own accomplishments.
With respect to this topic, what we have to do is show why it is appropriate for the General Assembly to make this apology, and we also have to answer a question. What good is this apology going to do? If we cannot do those two things, then the apology is not a good idea.
“pat is white” how many times did you say that i do not think the army that lost got that they lost, why are you still fighting a war you lost, for some they can never “move on”. Can some say summer jobs program in titus town in norfolk,va. no that might be to much money i forget it is not ghent or downtown norfolk,va, the idea of fighting over sorry let us fight over a new jobs program or a new health care center for titus town.