Georgetown Officials May Not Adopt Slavery Reparations Referendum

Officials at Georgetown University have yet to decide whether or not they will force students to pay slavery reparations as part of their student fees.

According to a report by The College Fix, administrators at Georgetown University have yet to decide whether or not they will impose a student fee that would benefit the descendants of slaves owned by the university in the 1800s. The slavery reparations fee was the subject of a referendum passed by students earlier this year.

Breitbart News reported in April that 66 percent of Georgetown students that participated in the referendum voted in favor of the reparations fund.

After the referendum passed, Dr. Todd Olson, vice president for student affairs at Georgetown, published a statement about the university’s ongoing efforts to reconcile with the ancestors of those who were enslaved by the university.

Since 2015, Georgetown has been working to address its historical relationship to slavery and will continue to do so. Georgetown has taken initial steps to seek reconciliation, beginning with offering a formal apology to Descendants; renaming two buildings, including one for Isaac Hawkins, the first person named in the 1838 sale; and offering Descendants the same consideration in admissions that it gives members of the Georgetown community.

The referendum asked the university to tack on an additional $27.20 to student’s fees each semester which would go to a fund that would create and sustain programs that would benefit the descendants of the slaves once owned by Georgetown. The amount was chosen to represent the 272 slaves that Georgetown sold in 1838.

Since then, the university has refused to take action. A group of student activists claims that university officials have made no indication that they plan to implement the reparations fund.

Neither the meeting nor the statement confirmed that this referendum will be implemented or created a comprehensive plan of action to address these questions. While university administrators have repeatedly articulated their commitment to continued dialogue, they have failed to clarify tangible steps forward. As of now, the advocacy team has not received clear indication of the university’s commitment to implementing the referendum. This measure was democratically voted on and approved by the student body, and we as students must continue to hold the administration responsible for implementing the referendum in a timely manner.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.