Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman eloquently read the county’s apology for slavery at a recent event (“The family history beneath Anne Arundel County’s apology for slavery,” Nov. 18, 2025).

I attended it. Some African Americans wiped their eyes, being “moved” by the apology. However, it was not what I was there for.

To assure there is no misunderstanding from me as the leader of the National Action Network of Anne Arundel County, let me begin by saying the city, county, state and nation should apologize for the evils of slavery.

But ten thousand other things (including reparations) should be done due to that evil and its lingering effects. Apologizing is not negative, however there is a need for proper understanding about slavery whenever the subject is “touched.” I do not believe the county executive and his staff have that understanding.

When an apology is extended to persons wronged by others, if the apology does not emanate from the wrongdoers (or on their behalf), it is not a real apology. It’s like saying that a boat on the Chesapeake Bay that wrongdoers used to travel to kill people must apologize for the killing done by those who used the boat.

No, the boat did not kill; people did! Hence, fundamentally, the people who did the killing need to apologize (or at least have the apology made on their behalf).

I did not attend the event to hear what I heard, particularly since most certainly the county has people whose families had nothing to do with enslaving human beings. I went to hear Pittman apologize for his family’s evil behavior in slavery. A county apology after that (if desired) would have been palatable.

Despite my bringing this “understanding” to the county executive multiple times, he still does not get it.

The Rev. Rickey Nelson Jones is the interim president and organizer for the Anne Arundel County chapter of the National Action Network.

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This letter has been updated to reflect that the author attended Anne Arundel County’s apology for slavery.