News by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors ON THIS DAY: July 29, 2008 Congress Issued Apology For Slavery The apology did not establish monetary compensation or financial reparations to the descendants of enslaved individuals. What Is House Resolution 194 and How Did It Pass? House Resolution 194 was officially introduced to address centuries of unacknowledged systemic harm perpetrated against millions of African Americans. The language of House Resolution 194 specifically focused on moral accountability, stating that the long-term economic, psychological, and social vestiges of Jim Crow persist today. The passage of House Resolution 194 catalyzed subsequent legislative actions across Capitol Hill, including the Senate’s companion measure, Senate Concurrent Resolution 26, passed in June 2009.