Apology and Reconciliation

Last week, Wachovia Bank apologized for the slave-owning past of several of its subsidiaries. Which begs the question: what responsibility do people bear for the actions of their ancestors? Host Frank Stasio speaks with Edward Ball, author of “Slaves in the Family” (Ballantine Books/1998) about uncovering the slave-owning past of his South Carolina fmaily and meeting the decesendants of those slaves. He also speaks to filmmaker Daisy Mayer about her documentary “The Nazi in the Closet” about discovering that her grandfather was a high-ranking member of the Nazi party and complicit in the extermination of many Jews. University of Massachusetts at Worcester School of Medicine Dean Aaron Lazare joins the conversation to talk about the nature of apologies and reconciliation. Listener Call-In. (59:00)

Listen Here

Comments are closed.