McDonnell apologizes for omitting slavery reference

After two days of poundings by Democrats, Gov. Bob McDonnell apologized for omitting a reference to slavery in his proclamation designating April as Confederate History Month and amended it to include a condemnation of "the evil and inhumane practice."

The governor said in a statement that his proclamation "contained a major omission."

"The failure to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed. The abomination of slavery divided our nation, deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights, and led to the Civil War," McDonnell said in a statement yesterday afternoon.

The Republican governor revived the Confederate proclamation after an eight-year hiatus under Democratic governors, and he drew swift objections from Democrats who yesterday took to the national airwaves to blast him.

Condemnation also came from Sheila Johnson, a prominent African-American businesswoman and Democratic supporter who backed McDonnell during his campaign.

McDonnell, who tried to tailor his campaign to practical, kitchen-table issues, was bombarded with outrage over what has become a flash point in Virginia politics and a headache for previous governors. His proclamation, first reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, was fodder for national news shows throughout yesterday and last night.

Despite McDonnell's attempt to calm the waters, his apology didn't quell the anger among Democrats.

"I don't give a rip if he does apologize. It's too little and much too late," said Sen. Louise L. Lucas, D-Portsmouth, who is black. "It's the latest in a series of missteps that sends the wrong message."

And the apology could alienate his base, said Steve Farnsworth, a political scientist at George Mason University, who called the original proclamation "a serious political mistake."

McDonnell said he issued the proclamation at the request of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He said he thought it would help people learn more about the Civil War, particularly in advance of next year's 150th anniversary of the beginning of the conflict.

Brag Bowling, a state leader with the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said his group is not opposed to the language addition.

Bowling said his group just wanted a "truthful and accurate history of the period, and that includes slavery," but he reiterated the need to honor and remember Confederate soldiers. He appeared on CNN last night with Sen. A. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, a member of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.

Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, the nation's first elected African-American governor, said on the same program that he spoke with McDonnell yesterday and is pleased about the apology. However, he said he disagrees with any commemoration that is viewed as a "celebration" of the war when considering the numbers of enslaved.

"I think [McDonnell] should be commended for being man enough and strong enough and straightforward enough to say, 'Look, I made a mistake. It was a mistake; I should have included things in it that I didn't,'" Wilder said. "I think that this hiccup as far as the McDonnell administration is something that could be and should be cured."

King Salim Khalfani, who as a leader of the state chapter of the NAACP has fought this battle with previous governors, was left dissatisfied with the governor's amendment on slavery.

"The adding of the piece about slavery is true, but it's still recognizing the Confederacy as something worth being commemorated," he said.

Former Gov. George Allen, a Republican, issued a Confederate History and Heritage Month proclamation, and Gov. Jim Gilmore, also a Republican, issued a proclamation titled "In Remembrance of the Sacrifices and Honor of all Virginians Who Served in the Civil War" to commemorate the valor of black and white Virginians who fought for either the North or South.

Democratic National Committee Chairman and former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who like his predecessor Gov. Mark R. Warner did not issue a Confederate proclamation, said before McDonnell's apology that "a failure to acknowledge the central role of slavery in the Confederacy . . . is simply not acceptable in the America of the 21st century."

Johnson, who supported Kaine in 2005 before backing McDonnell's campaign last year, said before the apology: "I must condemn Gov. McDonnell's proclamation honoring Confederate History Month and its insensitive disregard of Virginia's complicated and painful history, the remnants of which many Virginians still wrestle with today."

Contact Olympia Meola at (804) 649-6812 or omeola@timesdispatch.com.

Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or twhitley@timesdispatch.com.