Republican businessman and activist Z. Dwight Billingsly will appear tonight on the Paula Zahn show on CNN. Billingsly will be debating another Dwight; Dwight C. Jones, head of Virginia’s Legislative Black Caucus. That is where their similarities end. Mr. Jones spearheaded the recent successful effort to have Virginia officially apologize for its role in slavery. The Missouri legislature is considering a similar measure.

Mr. Jones had this to say during the often contentious debate:

“When somebody tells me I should just get over slavery, I can only express my emotion by projecting that I am appalled, absolutely appalled.”

Mr. Billingsly recently wrote a column in the Post Dispatch regarding slavery and an official apology from the state:

I never cease to be amazed by black people today who obsess about slavery. It’s over, gone, done and can’t come back, and yet there are black state legislators offering resolutions through which their respective states can apologize for slavery.I find it funny because nobody who was involved with slavery, of course, is alive today. What good is an apology that doesn’t involve any of the principals to the act? If you hurt me, I want an apology from you. If I don’t get it, I’ll get over it and persevere. That’s been the history of black people since slavery: We’ve persevered and achieved especially well here in America. An apology from your great, great grandson to my great, great grandson doesn’t interest me. Read more…

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