Some African-American studies professors are praising Georgetown University undergraduate students for passing a referendum to assess students a semesterly fee to fund reparations for descendants of nearly 300 slaves sold by the university in 1838 to help the school stay afloat.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the Georgetown students,” said Dr. Maurice Jackson, an associate professor in the history department and African American Studies Program. “They took the issue and put it to a vote.”
The unprecedented action “thrilled” longtime reparations proponent Dr. Raymond A. Winbush, a research professor and director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University.
“Georgetown students are very ahead of the game,” said Winbush. “They are saying that they are willing, as students at the university, to pay for what our ancestors did to Black people. Georgetown would not be here today if it were not for those 272 enslaved Africans who were sold by the university. I’m very, very proud of the students. They could have avoided this, but they stepped up to the plate.”
In the ballot question crafted by the Georgetown University Student Association in collaboration with an on-campus student group named GU 272 Advocacy Team, more than 3,800 members of the student body voted online Thursday to institute a student fee of $27.20 each semester to create the reparations fund.
The question on the ballot was, “Are you in favor of the creation of a GU 272 Reconciliation Contributions and the allocation of its proceeds by a GU 272 Reconciliation Board of Trustees?” It passed by a margin of two to one, with 2,541 students voting in favor and 1,304 opposing.
The voter turnout of nearly 58 percent was the highest student government voting rate ever, student newspaper The Hoya reported.
