Title: Georgetown Continues Support As Jesuits, Descendants Of Enslaved Form Foundation

Georgetown DC

18 March, 2021

1:18 PM

Description

Press release from Georgetown University: March 15, 2021 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." The founding Board of Trustees for the new foundation includes members of the Descendant and Jesuit communities. Georgetown is one of two institutions of higher education with representation on the board – the other is Southern University, a historically Black university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Members of the Descendant, Jesuit and Georgetown communities gather on Scott's Bluff located at Southern University, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during a dialogue session. A GU 272 Descendant, John Sebastion Jones, co-founded Southern and was tasked with finding land on which to situate the campus. 'Powerful and Transformative Vision' Joseph Ferrara, vice president and chief of staff at Georgetown, represents the university on the foundation's board. "It was the Descendant's powerful and transformative vision that drove the creation of the foundation," says Ferrara. "This is the beginning of a new and meaningful phase of work as we continue the journey, and we hope and believe that other institutions will join us in supporting the new foundation." The Descendants and Jesuits say the vision is that one day the foundation will be a $1 billion institution. The Jesuits have made an initial contribution and will lead a fundraising campaign to build the new foundation's financial capacity, which Georgetown will help to support. This press release was produced by Georgetown University.The views expressed here are the author's own.