Does Repentance Come Before Forgiveness?

A black Mississippian, Spencer Perkins, has written a powerful essay on grace and forgiveness titled, "Playing the Grace Card,"  published in Christianity Today, July 1998.  Spencer, a black Christian, was writing primarily to fellow black Christians: "We are at an impasse over race because we [blacks] cannot forgive" racist whites who have oppressed us.  True, but this is only half the biblical story.  White oppressors are called to repent, restitute, and repair the damage done by their oppression.  Justice demands this.  The call for white repentance should come before and with great urgency before the call for black forgiveness is issued.