Georgetown University Apologizes For Slave Trade Participation

GEORGETOWN, DC — Georgetown University held a religious ceremony and building dedication in Gaston Hill Tuesday as a way to honor and make amends for the university's participation in the slave trade in the 1800s.

In 1838, 272 enslaved people who worked on Jesuit plantains in southern Maryland were sold to slaveowners. Proceeds of the sale went to the Maryland Province of Jesuits and were used to pay off debts at Georgetown, according to the university.

Descendants of the enslaved people were invited to the day's events. Georgetown also said they will give admissions preference to the family members of the sold slaves.

"We offer this apology for the descendants and your ancestors humbly and without expectations, and we trust ourselves to God and the Spirit and the grace He freely offers to find ways to work together and build together," Georgetown President John DeGioia said at the religious service, according to U.S. News.

Following the worship service, the university renamed two campus buildings to atone for their historical links to slavery. McSherry Hall was renamed Anne Marie Becraft Hall to honor the pioneer black educator Becraft, who established a school in Georgetown for black girls.

Mulledy Hall was renamed as Isaac Hawkins Hall, after the first enslaved person listed in documents related to the 1838 sale, according to the university.

Photo: David Wilson/Flickr