Emancipation Day
Every year on April 16, Washington, DC commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the 1862 DC Compensated Emancipation Act, the law that abolished slavery in the District of Columbia and freed 3,000 individuals in bondage in the nation’s capital. As we honor this day and celebrate independence, we also recognize the struggle — historically and in our current moment — to achieve true freedom and justice for all.
Center on the Study of Slavery and Its Legacies
The Center for the Study of Slavery and Its Legacies is home to academic and research initiatives connected to Georgetown’s ongoing commitments to Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation. The Center supports rigorous new scholarship and innovation in disseminating knowledge about the history of enslavement and its past and current legacies.
Honoring Black History and Community
Members of Georgetown’s Student National Medical Association organized a conference at the School of Medicine for underrepresented medical students, residents, premeds and the general public.
The university’s Alumni Association has launched a new council to connect, support and engage current and future generations of Black alumni of Georgetown.
Requiem for the Enslaved
Carlos Simon, an assistant professor in the Department of Performing Arts, invites viewers into the development of his latest work, “Requiem for the Enslaved,” which honors the lives of enslaved men, women and children.
Celebrating Black History and Culture
We celebrate the many contributions of our Black students, alumni, faculty and staff to our community and society, and recognize the broad range of teaching, scholarship and advocacy at Georgetown aimed at advancing Black heritage and history.
Slavery, Memory and Reconciliation
From the Archives
The Georgetown University Library offers a wide variety of primary materials for those interested in learning more about enslavement, emancipation and African American history.
Racial Justice Institute
The Racial Justice Institute (RJI) at Georgetown University is a research hub where scholars, activists, and thought-leaders work across the academic, policy, and advocacy spaces. It also seeds and inspires the next generation of scholars and leaders addressing the vestiges of enslavement and well-being of Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth — “June” plus “nineteenth” — is a day of celebration to commemorate emancipation and the end of slavery in the United States.