[JURIST] The North Carolina Senate [official website] passed a joint resolution [text] Thursday apologizing for the state government's role in the practice of slavery, detailing various legal steps in the 17th through the 20th centuries which had suppressed the freedom of black people in the state and expressing "its profound contrition for the official acts that sanctioned and perpetuated the denial of basic human rights and dignity to fellow humans." In order to take formal effect, the North Carolina House [official website] has to approve the resolution.

The North Carolina measure follows the lead of lawmakers in neighboring Virginia who passed a resolution apologizing for slavery [JURIST report] last February. Missouri [bill text] and Georgia [bill text] are also considering similar legislation. AP has more.