A conversation with the editors of Facing Georgetown's History: A Reader on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation

About this event

*Pre-order your copy of Facing Georgetown's History: A Reader on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation (June 2021) at checkout!*

In 2016 a New York Times article brought national attention to the history of slavery at Georgetown University, highlighting the institution’s efforts to acknowledge and make amends with its past. Now in Facing Georgetown's History: A Reader on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation, coming from Georgetown University Press this June, essays, articles, and documents further illuminate Georgetown’s tangled history with slavery. The personal stories within this institutional history serve as a microcosm of the legacy of American slavery—from the school’s origins up to recent confrontations with this troubling past.

Join contributors Adam Rothman, Elsa Mendoza, and Lauret Savoy in conversation with Bell Julian Clement, editor of Washington History, for a discussion of their work to collect, contextualize, and reckon with this history.

Examining how American institutions contributed to the somber, traumatic history of slavery, the speakers will also discuss the role of universities as uniquely situated to reckon with difficult history through research, teaching, and modeling thoughtful, informed discussion.

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This talk is part of a series discussing DC history books of distinction, led by editors of Washington History.