Alameda County Board of Supervisors Apologizes for Slavery

For most supporters, it was long overdue. 

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution Tuesday officially apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African Americans in the United States and calling on state and federal government to take similar action. 

"The United States has never offered a formal apology for the chattel slavery of African Americans," an indignant Board President Nate Miley told the audience in Oakland. "This is not a fluff resolution."

He went on to list persistent local health disparities that are the lingering effects of slavery and Jim Crow on African American communities across the country. 

"Apologizing for slavery is not just about past tense, it’s about the impact it has on present day community," said co-sponsor Keith Carson. 

The resolution, timed roughly to coincide with Juneteenth celebration marking the end of slavery, further called for reparations for the African American community.

"Reparations are due to us as people to address these historical disparities that affect our cities and our counties," Miley said.