Students at Georgetown University have voted overwhelmingly to create a fund to provide reparations to descendants of 272 slaves sold to fund the school in the 19th century, a major step in becoming one of the first major U.S. institutions to provide financial restitution for a role in slavery. More than two-thirds of undergraduate students approved the measure in online voting, which ended Thursday night, according to Georgetown’s student newspaper The Hoya. If Georgetown’s board approves, the university, in Washington, D.C., would be one of the first major U.S. institutions to create a fund for slavery reparations. Todd Olson, Georgetown’s vice president for student affairs, acknowledged the results of the vote in a statement Friday, but did not indicate where officials stand on implementing the reparations fund. “The university values the engagement of our students and appreciates that 3,845 students made their voices heard in yesterday’s election,” Olson said.

Source: Huffington Post April 12, 2019 13:30 UTC