I was very moved by the comments of Langdon Hagan-Long. This is exactly the attitude that should be pervasive in Virginia, not unique. I would like to hope that when Langdon goes to the next reunion, he will go as a "member of the family", perhaps contributing to the food, or perhaps bearing gifts for all the people his family once "owned". T-shirts for the occasion, a trinket for the Christmas tree, something reminiscent of the old plantation. Perhaps if records of the plantation still exist that can pinpoint the births and deaths of the ancestors of these good souls, they could be made available. A lot of African-Americans are as interested in their "heritage" as are white folks. Making copies of family records could be a great assist. But, most of all, be a part of the family created by his ancestors. Tell others of what is now, and hope it gets so infectous that it becomes routine in Virginia, even among families whose ancesters were "stinkers". And, in the meantime, if all we are asked to do is to apologize as a state for the harm rendered, do it with honesty and humility, and be thankful that retribution isn't being demanded. As surely as Virginians identify with their ancestors to celebrate their great deads, they can idenity with the need to make good on their dastardly deeds. Anne Anne Pemberton [log in to unmask] http://www.erols.com/stevepem http://www.erols.com/apembert http://www.educationalsynthesis.org To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html