North Carolina Papers Apologize for Role In 1898 Race Riots

Editor & Publisher ^ | November 20, 2006 | Editor & Publisher

[freedomdefender]

NEW YORK Two of North Carolina's largest newspapers apologized Friday in separate editorials for their part in the 1898 racial battles that occurred statewide, culminating in the Wilmington, N.C. race riots in November of that year.

The apologies, in The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer of Raleigh, coincided with a 16-page special report on the racial conflicts that boiled over 108 years ago. The tab section, jointly produced by both papers, chronicled events that led to the riots and anti-black activities, including efforts by local newspapers to support supremacists and seek the removal of anti-segregationists from office.

Editorial page editors at the papers, both currently owned by The McClatchy Company, said the timing for an apology was right. "We simply came to the determination that to fully acknowledge our role was appropriate," said Steve Ford, editorial page editor for the News & Observer. "Once you do that, it came to seem to us that an apology was a natural step to take."

The News & Observer editorial, titled "A Painful Past," noted that the paper's part in the racist efforts of 1898 were "not a history we can undo." But it stated "this newspaper was a leader in that propaganda effort under editor and publisher Josephus Daniels. Although the paper is no longer owned by Daniels' heirs, an apology for the acts of someone we continue to salute in a different context on this page and for the misdeeds of the paper as an institution is perfectly in order, so we offer that apology today."

In the Charlotte Observer, a similar tone took place on its editorial page. "We apologize to the black citizens and their descendants whose rights and interests we disregarded," the editorial noted," and to all North Carolinians, whose trust we betrayed by our failure to fairly report the news and stand firm against injustice."

Ed Williams, editorial page editor of the Charlotte paper, said he ordinarily is against "people who didn't commit a wrong apologizing to those who were wronged and are long dead." But he said this case was special given that the racist actions impact today's residents. "I thought we just needed to get on the right side of history on that," he told E&P.

Orage Quarles, the News & Observer's publisher, agreed that apologizing for the acts of past owners may seem hollow. But he stressed that "it is part of our history and there are numerous employees here who had no idea of our role. It as like a giant shadow hanging over it, and we are done with it."

[American Quilter]

This is the dumbest thing I've heard since the last time a Democrat spoke.

[Dallas59]

Well...that's nice.

[RegulatorCountry]

They were Democrats then, and they are Democrats now.

[martin_fierro]

"We apologize to ... all North Carolinians, whose trust we betrayed by our failure to fairly report the news and stand firm against injustice."

The Duke LAX defendants can expect an apology in 2114.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Self flagellation as social policy. Now I've seen it all.

[ohioman]

What freakin idiots. This would be like me wanting an apology from the Italians for their Roman Ancestors enslaving my English ancestors.

There should be a "too stupid to live" law.

[Elpasser]

I love these historical apologies. They are priceless, literally.

All of the offenders are long dead. All of the offended are also long dead. So we have the spectacle of people who didn't do anything wrong apologizing to people who were not the recipients of the harm.

And the apology is invariably dismissed as "not enough" and a "first step."

[Volunteer]

Well, they said they were sorry... so I guess everything is OK now.

[Elpasser]

"There should be a 'too stupid to live' law."

How insensitive. Apologize -- immediately!

[Kozak]

[AbeKrieger]

I expect that the folks directly responsible for any actions taken were the ones who made the apology, correct?

Oh, wait a minute...

[justshutupandtakeit]

There were no "race riots" but rather wholesale and murderous attacks by the NC Democrats on Blacks.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

And not a stick of deodorant within 100 miles.

[crymeariver]

This whole thing has been in the makings for several years now. The purpose is to allow reparations to the black families that were slaughtered and sent out of town. It's a very interesting story to read and actually well researched and written. The newspapers were part of the propaganda for white supremacy pushed by the Democrats. A writer to the N & O letters to the editor suggested the reparations be paid by the Democratic National Committee and a tribute be made to the Republicans who stood behind the blacks. Would love to see a national discussion of this if only to educate everyone of the roots of the Democratic party.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

So we can now expect the N & O to provide free newspapers from now 'till eternity for any "descendants" of these riots?

[vox humana]

The McClatchy Company loves political correctness.

[guestfox01]

This is the dumbest thing I've heard since the last time a Democrat spoke.

Oh don't worry I'm sure we'll hear more of this stupidity. I guess now I have to apologize for my great, great, great, great, great grandfather's mule for farting so loud it caused the neighbor's chickens to stop laying eggs. :)

[TommyDale]

Maybe the North Carolina newspapers should also apologize to the general public for not covering this story in more detail:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-_K0Hlvyys

[Howlin]

Yup.

Because they've done their part in furthering that travesty.