As a descendant of the enslaved Africans of the south, I would clearly imagine myself in the position of my ancestors; being captured and stolen from my homeland, removed from my family, and stripped of my culture. These are painful feelings that could never be erased with a simple apology, but it is the beginning of reconciliation with our past. In order to free my self of the rage and anger felt towards the horrific crimes imposed upon African American people, because forgiveness brings closure. Forgiveness to this person does not mean that I forgive his ancestors of any wrongdoing they might have inflicted on my forefathers. I believe the United States government played a major role in slavery because it benefited from the suffering of African Americans. The government has never acknowledged or taken responsibility for its role in the enslavement of Africans and the support of white supremacy, Black inferiority, segregation and racism in America. The United States government was responsible for allowing the treatment of slaves to continue for so long. .
Even though, I would still harbor a lot of anger towards the white man's ancestors for the torture they inflicted upon my family, there is no way I can hold the family I met accountable for the transgressions of their ancestors. They were not directly responsible and they should not have to carry the guilt of their forefathers. I felt the overwhelming need to heal the wounds left behind by the slave trade in Africa and America. I would openly surrender to forgiveness in order to start afresh and pursue goal towards progress in the lives of African American. For African, this realization opens the way to forgiveness and reconciliation.
