Celebrating Black History and Culture at Georgetown
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.
Black History Month
The first organized national celebration of Black history was conceived by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1925. During the month of February, Georgetown joins the nation in commemorating Black History Month.
Celebrate Black History
Black Studies
The Department of Black Studies delivers scholarship and courses that deeply and substantively examine Black culture, history and experience throughout the Americas; study African culture, history, people and politics as pretext and context to Africans in the Americas experience; and explore the Black Atlantic diaspora.
A Testimonial
“I just knew I wanted to help people who looked like my brother and me, and I felt this was the best way to do it and lean on my skills in STEM. I think my love for my brother was a big thing too because I know he’s not the only one who’s dealt with these things, and I know I have the capability of helping people like him.”
Faculty Research and Expertise
In his new book, Anderson François traces the lives of formerly enslaved people who gained citizenship after the Civil War and how they shape our understanding of the Reconstruction Era.
A team led by Amani Morrison is beginning a yearlong inquiry into Black ecologies and will explore restorative Black placemaking practices that can be maintained for future generations.
Student & Alumni Impact
“I recognized that the scale required to effectively dismantle systems of gender oppression in African labor markets can only be achieved at the policy level. I also realized that these structural changes must be driven by a change in social norms, which have historically been achieved by social movements. I therefore wanted to contribute to solutions towards increasing financing for gender-based movements.”
“In 50 years, I want to be able to say that I was someone who fought tooth and nail for the rights and justice of others. I want to be able to say that I was a drum major for justice.”
“Ultimately, my mission was to leave a legacy for the next generation of young artists and to inspire them. But as it turned out, they really inspired me.”
Documenting the Black Experience at Georgetown
In 2019, the Georgetown University African American Advisory Board launched “We Are Georgetown: Celebrating Our Black History,” an oral history project designed to document and share the rich history and experiences of the Black community at Georgetown. Today, they’ve completed 100 interviews capturing the life and experiences of Black community members.
Black Achievement, Community and Advocacy
Alyia Gaskins (G’19) made history this November when she became the first Black woman elected mayor of Alexandria, Virginia.
Katherine Williams oversees design projects in downtown DC and on the Hilltop. In her off-hours, she works to promote equitable housing and increase the number of Black women in architecture.
The Quest for Racial Justice
Through teaching, research, artistic expression, advocacy and activism, the university calls attention to disparities in health, income, housing and more, while exploring the systematic racism, diasporas, migrations and social structures that continue to impact the lives of people of color.
The Arts and Racial Justice
Through theater, music, dance and more, members of the Georgetown community have been exploring how to spark change and pursue racial justice through the arts.
A Testimonial
“I’m not a box-checker. If we’re not changing lives and truly serving the people, then this isn’t the job for me. When someone calls and needs help, I’m going to help them. I sleep well at night when I know that community concerns are addressed, and lives are changed.”
Slavery, Memory and Reconciliation
Georgetown is engaged in a long-term and ongoing process to more deeply understand and respond to the university’s role in the injustice of slavery and the legacies of enslavement and segregation in our nation. Through engagement with the members of the Descendant community, collaborative projects and new initiatives and learning and research, the university pursues a path of memorialization and reconciliation in our present day.
Quick Links
Honoring the Enslaved
Carlos Simon, a composer, musician and Georgetown professor, composed the work, “Requiem for the Enslaved,” to honor the 272 men, women and children who were sold by the Maryland Province of the Jesuits in 1838 and their more than 8,000 Descendants. In 2022, his work was nominated for a Grammy.
Engaging the DC Community
His first year at Georgetown, Reginald Douglas (C’09) wanted to work on K St., not Broadway. Nearly two decades later, he’s being honored for inspiring social change through theater.
Students and faculty in the School of Nursing & Health Studies helped develop a new educational module on implicit bias for the District of Columbia Department of Health.