Talks at GS – Dr. John J. DeGioia and Dr. Ruth Simmons: Confronting the Legacy of Slavery

Georgetown University's Involvement in the 1838 Slave Sale

• In 1838, Jesuit Father Thomas Mulledy oversaw the sale of 272 enslaved people (men, women, and children) from Maryland plantations to Louisiana landowners.
• The financial transaction included a $25,000 down payment and a total value of $115,000.
• Proceeds from the sale funded a $115,000 transaction, with $17,000 specifically sent to Georgetown University to support the institution.
• The university had named a residence hall, "Jez Rez," after Father Mulledy, which was identified as a site of renovation during the university's re-examination of its history.
• A recent demographic study found that a descendant of the enslaved individuals was born just 11 years after the sale; she noted that for her family, the event was only two lifetimes ago, contrasting with the 180-year span often cited by the university.

Brown University's Historical Discovery and Findings

• Brown University initiated a historical investigation after alumni questioned whether the institution profited from slavery amidst a national trend of lawsuits targeting universities for "disgorgement of profits."
• Prior to the investigation, official university records contained no mention of slavery; the university initially concluded there was no connection between the institution and the practice.
• The investigation revealed that virtually every merchant and wealthy figure in Rhode Island at the time of Brown's founding was involved in the slave trade, which was the state's core industry.
• Founding funds were largely derived from individuals involved in slave trading, and the first president of Brown, James Manning, arrived on campus bringing a slave with him.
• The Brown family, while prominent, were described as unsuccessful slave traders; John Brown was a notorious advocate for slavery, while his brother Moses Brown became a leading abolitionist.
• The study concluded that the history of slavery was not hidden by active concealment but was "hidden in plain sight" due to a collective lack of self-awareness and failure to integrate the data into the institution's self-understanding.

Institutional Responses, Decisions, and Renaming Efforts

• Georgetown University recommended renaming two campus buildings to honor enslaved individuals listed on the 1838 bill of sale.
• One building is to be named "Isaac Hall" after Isaac, the first person named on the 1838 ledger.
• A second building is to be named after Isaac, the 65-year-old father who was separated from his children during the sale.
• University leaders acknowledged that while original names of enslaved people were lost to history, the renaming serves as an accountability measure for the enduring legacy of slavery.
• The process highlighted the emotional weight of the history, particularly regarding the breaking of families and the heartbreaking detail of multiple sales documented in the records.

Leadership Perspectives and Societal Implications

• Ruth Simmons, Brown's president and the first African American president of an Ivy League university, emphasized that the legacy of slavery, segregation, and discrimination remains an active, unresolved process affecting contemporary society.
• Simmons noted that the health disparity in Washington, D.C., where a white resident's life expectancy is 15 years longer than a black resident's, is a direct manifestation of the failure to ameliorate the original evils of the 19th century.
• Both presidents agreed that silence regarding historical atrocities is "poisonous" and that institutions must confront their past to understand their present moral standing.
• Simmons described her leadership approach as prioritizing ethical teaching and telling the truth to her community over simply managing the university as a standard institution.
• The discussion identified that the university's work serves as a model for other nations and regions, including Latin America, the Caribbean, England, and France, which are similarly grappling with colonial and slavery legacies.

Forward-Looking Statements and Ongoing Challenges

• Jack DeGioia questioned how modern institutions and societies will be judged 50 years from now regarding current issues such as the refugee crisis.
• Leaders emphasized that the process of reckoning with history is incomplete, stating they are "not nearly done thinking about who we are as a country."
• The speakers noted that while the reports were met with extreme criticism and scrutiny, particularly regarding race and reparations, the core goal remains to educate students on ethical behavior and historical truth.
• Future efforts are expected to continue the dialogue on how to move forward while acknowledging that the "banality of slavery" involved the entire community, from carpenters to financiers.