On June 18, 2009, the United Staes Sentate apologized to Afro-descendants (African Americans who have an ancestor who experienced the period of enslavement and Jim Crow segregation) for the enslavement of our ancesotors and for Jim Crow segregation.  The author of the apoogy. Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, stated following the Apology, that "the real work lies ahead." NCOBRA believes that "real work" can begin with the passage of House Resolution 40, known as the Reparations Study Bill.  This is needed, along with the passage  of a companion Senate Bill to that legislation in order to move America forward in regards to race and racial relations. We also believe that the Senate  companiion bill will have added historic and symbolic significance if it originated out of the state of Illinois.