The Battle over Reparations at Georgetown

The Journal.

The Wall Street Journal

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4.2 • 5.3K Ratings

🗓️ 19 June 2023

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We’re off today, but we still have an episode for you! In 1838, the Jesuits who founded Georgetown University sold 272 slaves to pay off the school's debts and keep the college afloat. Nearly 200 years later, the Jesuits want to make amends. But as Lee Hawkins explains, the path to racial healing can be a messy one. This episode originally published in May 2022. Further Reading: - For Georgetown, Jesuits and Slavery Descendants, Bid for Racial Healing Sours Over Reparations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Kate. We're off today for June 10th, but we wanted to share an episode we made last year.
0:07.0	It's about how Georgetown University is attempting to make amends for its role in slavery and the fight for reparations. Here it is.
0:16.0	I shall now I see.
0:28.0	Five years ago, on the campus of Georgetown University, top Jesuit priests issued an apology.
0:36.0	Today, the Society of Jesus, who helped to establish Georgetown University and whose leaders enslaved and mercilessly sold your ancestors,
0:52.0	stands before you to say that we have greatly sinned.
0:57.0	These priests were addressing a gathering of descendants of slaves.
1:01.0	We pray with you today because we have greatly sinned and because we are profoundly sorry.
1:10.0	They were apologizing for the sale of 272 enslaved people in 1838.
1:18.0	At that time, the Jesuits, who founded Georgetown, needed money to get the school out of debt.
1:26.0	And that transaction saved Georgetown from financial ruin.
1:31.0	But now, America's oldest Catholic and Jesuit university is trying to write those wrongs. Here's reporter Lee Hawkins.
1:41.0	They pledged to start the process of racial healing and to work with the descending groups to figure out how that could happen and then make recommendations as to how they should address their role in slavery.
1:55.0	The Jesuits set out to raise $100 million to make amends for their role in slavery.
2:02.0	But the big question has been what restitution would look like and whether it would include financial payments or reparations.
2:14.0	It's not the question of should they apologize, they apologize, but it's the question of what is the best path to get to healing?
2:24.0	And there are a lot of people who have different opinions on that.
2:30.0	Welcome to the journal, our show about money, business, and power. I'm Kate Leinbach.
2:43.0	Coming up on the show, Georgetown University's role in slavery and the fight over reparations.
2:58.0	The scientists of today are creating the next big thing.
3:02.0	On the Wall Street Journal's future of everything podcast, get an early listen to what tomorrow has in store.
3:08.0	Find us wherever you get your podcasts.
	...

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