Congress Apologizes for Slavery, Jim Crow The U.S. House of Representatives issued an unprecedented apology to black Americans on Tuesday for the institution of slavery and subsequent Jim Crow laws that for years discriminated against blacks. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, drafted the resolution and explains its timing.

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Congress Apologizes for Slavery, Jim Crow

Congress Apologizes for Slavery, Jim Crow

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Statues in Stonetown, Zanzibar mark the center of the slave trade in East Africa. iStock hide caption

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On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives issued an unprecedented apology to black Americans for the institution of slavery, and the subsequent Jim Crow laws that for years discriminated against blacks as second-class citizens in American society.

Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, drafted the resolution. Cohen explains the apology's long journey for Congressional approval and the significance of its timing.