In the spring of 2000, students rallied in Red Square demanding that Georgetown University’s administration respond to racial discrimination and threats of violence on campus. The local news media interviewed student leaders and published stories highlighting these pockets of ignorance within our community and their effect on student life. Students lobbied for racial sensitivity seminars and other measures to combat intolerance on campus.
President DeGioia responded by meeting with student leaders and creating a task force to develop community building programs such as Georgetown Day, a celebration of the campus community. Regardless of the measures this group implemented, it seems they have not been entirely effective. Four years later, we find ourselves back in Red Square looking for action and answers. Recent history indicates that Georgetown has been either unable or unwilling to properly address racism on campus. While some remedies are beyond the administration’s control, there is at least one that is not only possible, but long overdue.
If Georgetown is really concerned with combatting ignorance, then it must first promote knowledge of self. Georgetown students must learn the history of this university and the contributions that so many have made to make Georgetown great. Georgetown continues to struggle with racial ignorance in large part because we have not properly engaged in the study of our own history. An incredibly diverse group of people, and particularly people of African descent, have not only made valuable contributions to Georgetown, they are responsible for developing the physical and philosophical infrastructure of this institution.
Black people built Georgetown University, both literally and figuratively. Before 1789, the Society of Jesus used the labor of 192 Black African slaves to construct and maintain what is now the core of Georgetown’s main campus. The Jesuits used slaves rather than white indentured servants because slaves were a source of free labor and the fledgling university needed to generate revenue. Although the Jesuits eventually decided that owning slaves conflicted with their religious beliefs, this case of conscience did not compel the fathers of Georgetown to release their workers. Instead, the slaves were sold to plantation owners in the Deep South, guaranteeing two things-harsher treatment for the slaves and more income for the University. As influential as slave labor was to building the Georgetown campus, however, African-Americans also played an integral role in defining the mind and the spirit of this University as well.
Many Georgetown students identify Healy as the picturesque building that is home to Gaston Hall and the administrative offices for the University. Very few students, however, know anything about the man behind the building. Father Patrick F. Healy, a devout Jesuit, was the first African-American to head a predominantly white university. More importantly, though, Healy was not only the son of an Irish immigrant and a former slave; he is widely considered the second founder of Georgetown University.
During his tenure at Georgetown, Healy not only oversaw the construction of the multi-purpose building that now bears his name, but was also responsible for facilitating Georgetown’s transformation from a small liberal arts college in the 1870s into a modern university. Under Healy’s leadership, Georgetown expanded its curriculum in science and law, built a new library, added more classrooms and founded an active alumni association. The University has made Healy’s background known through campus tours and occasional programming events, but perhaps by incorporating the study of his life into the Georgetown core curriculum or new student orientation Father Healy can have an even greater influence on the campus at large. This practice would not only help to combat intolerance, but also build a collective identity among the student body.
Father Patrick F. Healy may have made Georgetown a university, but John Thompson made the University a household name. When Thompson became Head Coach of the Georgetown Men’s Basketball team in 1972, he became only one of a handful of African-American coaches at a predominantly white school. Under Thompson’s guidance, the Georgetown Hoyas developed into one of the nation’s most storied basketball programs and the most widely recognized collegiate brand name in the world. You can travel anywhere in the world and find children wearing Georgetown Hoya hats, shorts and jerseys. Despite our recent fall from grace in the college basketball world, Georgetown’s men’s basketball program has been an incredible source of revenue for this university. In addition, John Thompson’s program put Georgetown on a national stage. It seems no coincidence that around the same time that Georgetown dominated the basketball world, the University also gained more notoriety as an academic powerhouse. Successful athletic programs not only increase profits, but also increase the number of applications and enrollment, building community in both quantity and quality. Thompson and the Hoyas did just that.
Georgetown University owes a great debt to the multitude of people that have shaped this university’s identity. African-Americans in particular have had a prominent role in this development. However, this fact does not mean that the contributions of African-Americans should over shadow those of other groups. Georgetown may be a Jesuit institution, but the University has always embraced the notion of religious pluralism and must work harder to ensure that this ideal is a reality for all students.
Since its founding in 1789, Georgetown has not only become a prominent American university, but with its School of Foreign Service and extensive study abroad programs, Georgetown is an international university. A diverse collection of individuals have made Georgetown what it is today. Ignoring this history will not only undermine its reputation as an educational institution, but it also ensures that these incidents of racial discrimination and intolerance will continue to mar Georgetown’s future.
Donald Sherman is a first-year Law student (CAS ‘02). He is also a Patrick Healy fellow.
