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Missouri Lawmaker seeks apology for slavery

The state would formally apologize for permitting more than 140 years of slavery under a proposal that would make Missouri one of the first in the country to make such a move.

The resolution, which details the history of Missouri slavery, says that "an apology for centuries of brutal dehumanization and injustices cannot ease the past, but confession of the wrongs can speed racial healing and reconciliation."

Rep. Talibdin El-Amin said Missouri should be one of the first states to apologize for slavery because the Dred Scott case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that black people in the United States cannot sue, originated in Missouri.

"That case set a legal precedent, and I’m looking for Missouri to set another precedent and be one of the first states to apologize for slavery," El-Amin, D-St. Louis, said yesterday.
Read entire article at AP