Introduction
Georgetown is committed to an ongoing process of dialogue and engagement with Descendants of the people enslaved by the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. We are grateful for the opportunity to build these relationships and to continue to find ways of engaging together.
Since our first meetings with members of the Descendant community in 2016, this engagement has included meeting with Descendants in their hometowns and welcoming them to campus, group visits to historical sites, archival and genealogical research, cultural events and memorials, and academic collaborations. Students have met Descendants on trips to Louisiana and Descendants have joined the campus as students.
In 2019, a group of students brought forward a student referendum that provided a vision for how students could be engaged with members of the Descendant community. That vision inspired the Reconciliation Fund, which awards grants to community-based projects that have direct impact on Descendant communities.
In 2021, with the ongoing support and participation of Georgetown, the Jesuits and Descendants of the enslaved individuals sold in 1838 by the Maryland Province of Jesuits established the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation to support racial healing and educational advancement.
In all our work together, we remain committed to principles for dialogue, partnership, and collaboration, which we proposed as part of a joint letter to members of the Descendant community from Georgetown and the Society of Jesus.
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Admissions Information for Descendants
On September 1st, 2016, then-president John J. DeGioia announced that:
“we provide care and respect for the members of the Georgetown community–faculty, staff, and alumni–those with an enduring relationship with Georgetown. We will provide this same care and respect to the descendants.”
Any program (undergraduate and beyond) that currently considers whether an applicant is a member of the Georgetown community as a factor in admissions will give that same consideration to Descendants of persons enslaved by the Maryland Province of Jesuits.
Process for Prospective Students
Georgetown has a process to provide care and attention to applications submitted by Descendants of the people enslaved by the Maryland Province of Jesuits.
We ask each prospective student who is a Descendant, or who believes they may be a Descendant, to gather as much genealogical information as they have that may directly connect their family to those enslaved by the Maryland Province of Jesuits. We share this information confidentially with colleagues who can cross-reference it with relevant archival documents.
Please also indicate which program you are interested in.
When you are ready, please send an email to descendants@georgetown.edu describing as much genealogical information as you have that may directly connect your family to those enslaved by the Maryland Province of Jesuits. Please also indicate which program you are interested in.
Please reach out as early as possible in the admissions cycle. This will ensure we can provide appropriate attention to your application.
All of the information you share will be kept confidential.
Application Requirements and Deadlines
Applications should be submitted in accordance with the requirements and deadlines outlined by the program.
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions website has instructions and deadlines for first year and transfer undergraduate applications.
Application information for graduate and professional degrees are available on the respective program websites.
Questions
If you have any additional questions about the admissions process, please write to descendants@georgetown.edu.
Historical and Genealogy Resources
Georgetown has resources to support historical and genealogical research.
The Georgetown Slavery Archive is a digital repository of materials related to the Maryland Jesuits, Georgetown, and slavery. Initiated by the Archives Subgroup of the Georgetown University Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation in 2016, archival materials are available in collections including slavery in the Maryland Province, slavery at Georgetown College, the sale of the enslaved community in 1838, and Descendant stories.
The Georgetown Library provides access to various resources that are used in the classroom and by researchers for historical and genealogical efforts. Their collections include the Archives of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, financial records, Jesuit papers, and new electronic databases. To support use of Library resources, the Library engages in reparative description of its collections, creates research guides, and provides in-person and virtual demonstrations of how to use its resources.
Descendants, researchers, and members of the public may request virtual and in-person research consultations with librarians and visit the Booth Family Center for Special Collections at the Georgetown Library to conduct archival research. Please visit their website for information on materials and access.