American Schools with Historical Ties to Slavery Consider Reparations

 

American colleges and universities are increasingly discussing the idea of reparations linked to their historical ties to slavery.

Until now, schools have created monuments, changed building names and issued public apologies – instead of providing money.

But Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and two other colleges recently announced financial commitments to people whose ancestors were slaves.

The year 2019 marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first slave, in what is now the American state of Virginia. The United States has been discussing reparations since slavery officially ended in 1865.

But there is increasing attention to the slave economy wealth of American colleges and universities.

Jeffrey Clinton is a student at the University of Buffalo¹ in New York. He said he thinks colleges should admit to their historical ties to slavery. But he also thinks the federal government should take the lead on an issue that reaches well beyond higher education.

"It doesn't have to be trillions of dollars ... but at least address the inequities and attack the racial wealth gap between African Americans and white Americans and really everybody else, because this is an American-made institution. We didn't immigrate² here," said Clinton, whose ancestors were slaves.

A majority of Georgetown undergraduate students voted in April to pay an additional $27 a semester as a "Reconciliation³ Contribution." The money would support projects in poor communities where some descendants of slaves sold in 1838 live today. The 272 slaves were sold to help pay Georgetown's debts.

Georgetown President John DeGioia announced a university-led reparations effort in October. His goal is to raise about $400,000 from donors⁴ to support projects like health clinics and schools in those same communities.

At least 56 universities have joined a University of Virginia-led group called Universities Studying Slavery. The schools aim to explore their ties to slavery and share research and suggestions for how to settle the past wrongdoing.

In recent years, some schools, like Yale University, have removed the names of slavery supporters from buildings. New monuments have gone up at other places, including Brown University's Slavery Memorial sculpture and the University of Virginia's Memorial to Enslaved Laborers⁶, which is still being built.

In September, Virginia Theological Seminary announced a $1.7 million fund in recognition of slaves who worked there. It said the money would be used to support African American clergy⁷ in the Episcopal church and programs that promote justice and inclusion.

The Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey⁸ followed with a $27.6 million fund, after a historical study found that some of its creators used slave labor⁵. Its president, M. Craig Barnes, said the seminary would not avoid addressing difficult truths about its history.

In an October letter to Harvard University's president, Antigua and Barbuda's prime minister noted⁹ the developments at Georgetown and the seminaries. Gaston Brown asked the school to consider how it could amend¹⁰ for the oppression of Antiguan slaves by a slave owner whose gift supported a law professorship in 1815.

Harvard's president answered with a promise that the school would explore its historical ties to slavery.

People have also urged the University of Buffalo to consider the beliefs and actions of its founder¹¹, Millard Fillmore. As America's 13th president, Fillmore signed the Fugitive¹² Slave Act to help slave owners reclaim¹³ escaped slaves.

Students at the University of Buffalo have not officially raised the idea of reparations, a school spokesman told The Associated Press. But students did lead a discussion on the issue as part of Black Solidarity¹⁴ Week last month.

Few Americans support reparations. A recent public opinion study showed that only 29 percent of those questioned said the government should pay reparations to descendants of enslaved black people.

University of Buffalo associate professor Keith Griffler specializes in African and African American studies. He said he sees the beginning of a movement at schools of higher learning.

Griffler said, "The conversations, just acknowledging these kinds of things...I think would go a long way toward making students feel that at least their voices are being heard."

Words in This Story

reparations - n. money that a country or group that loses a war pays because of the damage, injury, deaths, etc., it has caused

monument - n. a building, statue, etc., that honors a person or event

commitment - n. a promise to do or give something

address - v. to give attention to (something)

inequity - n. lack of fairness

gap - n. a difference between two people, groups, or things

institution - n. a custom, practice, or law that is accepted and used by many people

undergraduate - adj. used to describe student at a college or university who has not yet earned a degree

reconciliation - n. the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement

descendant - n. someone who is related to a person or group of people who lived in the past

sculpture - n. a piece of art that is made by carving¹⁵ or molding clay, stone, metal, etc.

fund - n. an amount of money that is used for a special purpose

conversation - n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people : the act of talking in an informal way

acknowledge - v. to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of (something)

1 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

2 immigrate   

v.（从外国）移来，移居入境

参考例句：

• 10,000 people are expected to immigrate in the next two years.接下来的两年里预计有10，000人会移民至此。
• Only few plants can immigrate to the island.只有很少的植物能够移植到这座岛上。

3 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

4 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

7 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

8 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

11 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

12 fugitive   

adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者

参考例句：

• The police were able to deduce where the fugitive was hiding.警方成功地推断出那逃亡者躲藏的地方。
• The fugitive is believed to be headed for the border.逃犯被认为在向国境线逃窜。

13 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

14 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

15 carving   

n.雕刻品，雕花

参考例句：

• All the furniture in the room had much carving.房间里所有的家具上都有许多雕刻。
• He acquired the craft of wood carving in his native town.他在老家学会了木雕手艺。