McDonnell to talk slavery at NSU

NORFOLK — Just months after he triggered a national racial brouhaha for neglecting to mention slavery in a proclamation of Confederate History Month, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell travels to Historically Black College Norfolk State University on Friday to talk about slavery and the Civil War.

McDonnell issued the state proclamation quietly in April, but the document quickly sparked a firestorm nationwide because "slavery" went completely unmentioned. President Barack Obama chastised the Republican governor, calling it an "unacceptable omission."

McDonnell initially held his ground, then drew further criticism for saying he was focusing on the issues that were most "significant" to Virginia. Eventually McDonnell relented, rewrote the proclamation and apologized for a "major omission."...