Georgetown University
Date Published: March 15, 2021 Share
With the ongoing support and active participation of Georgetown, the Jesuits and Descendants of the 272 enslaved individuals sold in 1838 by the Maryland Province of Jesuits have established a new charitable foundation focused on racial healing and educational advancement.
The Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation will take a leading role in addressing the legacies of enslavement in the United States and its impact on families and communities today.
“The Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation represents an extraordinary vision of racial healing and transformation,” says President John J. DeGioia. “At Georgetown, and across higher education, we share a vital role in supporting the vision of this Foundation.”
On Jan. 6, while a joint session of Congress gathered to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump breached the Capitol in a failed insurrection that claimed five lives and disrupted a necessary element of the democratic process.
Like many observers, Georgetown administrators underestimated the threat level in the days leading up to the riot. On Jan. 5, an email from Vice Presidents Rosemary Kilkenny and Todd Olson warned students of “first amendment activities” expected in D.C., but failed to acknowledge the threat of white supremacists flooding the city despite ample forewarning by journalists and government agencies.