Obama On Confederate History Month: 'Unacceptable' To Omit Slaves

Confederate History Month: Obama Reacts To Omission Of Slavery

U.S. President Barack Obama called "unacceptable" the omission of slavery from the proclamation declaring April Confederate History Month in the state of Virginia. In an interview to ABC news, Obama said, "I am a big history buff. And I think that understanding the history of the Confederacy and understanding the history of the Civil War is something that every American and every young American should be a part of. Now, I don't think you can understand the Confederacy and the Civil War unless you understand slavery. And so, I think that was an unacceptable omission."

"I think the Governor [McDonnell] acknowledged that. And, I think it is just a reminder that when we talk about issues like slavery that are so fraught with pain and emotion that we know we better do this thinking through how this is going to affect a lot of people, and their sense of whether they are a part of the Commonwealth, or a part of our broader society."

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who is behind the controversial omission, apologized for not including slavery in the official proclamation. In a statement released on Wednesday, McDonnell said the proclamation contained a major omission and that the failure to include any reference to slavery was a mistake.

• Confederate History Month: Bob McDonnell Admits 'Major Omission'

The official text of the proclamation has now been changed.

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Obama: Omission Of Slavery From Confederate History Month 'Unacceptable'

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sourced by Yuliya Talmazan