Still Waiting for An Apology

When Biden was first elected, I was waiting for it. I heard him give gratitude to the black voters.
I heard Biden say that he heard and felt the pain that was being expressed by the black
community after he was elected, quoting NBA Basketball Coach Doc Rivers passionately say,
“It’s amazing… why we keep loving this country and this country doesn’t love us back.”
I also heard Biden say things that were unsettling. Such as that you’re not black if you vote for
Trump instead of him. I also heard him address the black community directly while campaigning
about what he would do for them, then switch the language slightly changing it when he became
president. Instead of stating clearly what he would do specifically to repair 400 years of injustice
that has harmed the black community, Biden used language that what he would do would help
everyone including the black community.

But through all his talking I never heard Biden apologize to the black community.
Why does this matter? Why would anyone want an apology from Biden?
Well Biden was one of the most aggressive politicians in the Eighties and Nineties pushing for
being tough on crime, especially as it related to drugs laws and severe criminal punishments. His
son has been known to have drug issues, why wasn’t he more empathetic to those impacted by
the drug infestation then, like he appears to be today? The bills he pushed and initiatives he led
were tactics used to imprison and dismantle black communities across the US.

He also gained so much from his relationships with black politicians. He gained his popularity
clarity from being vice president of the first known black president. In 2020, Biden won the
democratic primary race when a respected Congressional Black Caucus leader, publicly
announced his support just before the South Carolina vote which swung the momentum towards
Biden and away from Bernie. And just like the Clintons before him and many other “blue”
candidates, the black vote seems to be taken for granted.

I bring this up, now because I am reminded of such by the recent transition of Queen Elizabeth.
A more grandiose persona the Queen brought forth many different emotions. Mourned mostly
by those of European descent. Given the historical reign of terror that Europe and more
specifically Britain meant to the rest of the world, Indigenous and Aboriginal folks of Southeast
Asia and Africa remembered the Queen’s legacy for her continuing the harmful ways of
colonialism. Stealing and pillaging.

They too are still waiting for an apology from the royal family. Even if it’s superficial. Even if
Elizabeth and Biden were not sincere. Which by all accounts of their behavior, they were truly
not apologetic. Who knows what could have come of it and who would have been affected in a
positive manner. Imagine the impression it would make on children and young adults who
struggle with whether apologies are a weakness or a show of strength. More importantly it
would begin to validate the feelings of the people whose families for generations have been
harmed.

Don’t get it twisted. It is a show of strength to want to be a part of the healing process when you
have been a part of the injury. Humility of such a step from a leader like the President or the

Queen of England apologizing for the harm that they caused would have great impacts. There
are examples of such apologies by Canadian, and Australian leaders for their country’s treatment
of indigenous people. The leaders of Canada and France also apologized for their role in the
Rwandan genocide.

Once can always argue that these are not enough. I would agree that much more is needed by all
colonized country leaders. We have a lot of work to do to heal the harms of our ways. I also
think these begin to show younger generations that it is okay to admit fault and repair harm. It
allows for some level of healing and feeling validated that is necessary and sought out. The
peaceful indigenous and aboriginal cultures do not need to carry the burden of holding onto the
pain.

As for the British and American Empires, an apology won’t happen from either position until
someone in those positions is ready to be held accountable for following through with the
sentiment that an apology creates. Biden is a lifelong American politician and being held
accountable through apologizing for past aggressions is as rare in those waters as finding a
winning scratch off lottery ticket on the ground. I guess we will have to continue to work
towards healing without it.