Descendants of enslaved Black people refuse Missouri university’s apology. Here’s why
Saint Louis University planned a public apology for its role in enslaving Black people generations ago, but descendants of the enslaved have refused.
“What we will not do is become a photo op so they can go and parade us around and act like we are in alignment with what they are doing,” said Robin Proudie, founder and executive director of the Descendants of the St. Louis University Enslaved (DSLUE), according to The University News.
DSLUE said in a statement the university did not honor previous commitments of the 10-point Path Toward Reconciliation Event.
One of the parts of the plan was “taken off the table,” which caused “deep frustration” by the group and raised concerns about the university’s integrity of their reconciliation efforts, Proudie said.
An agenda the university advanced “misaligned” with what the group expected to be a “descendant-centered reparative justice plan.”
“This turn of events is the complete opposite, and families decided they cannot participate in a performative ceremony that fails to address the harm that has been perpetrated on the ancestors.”
According to the DSLUE website, 11 former presidents of SLU “bought, sold and bred bondsmen, women and children” throughout the 1800s. Their “forced labor,” according to the group, ensured financial prosperity for the Jesuits.
The Wednesday, March 26, public apology was supposed to occur during a prayer service at St. Francis Xavier College Church, but it was postponed, according to PBS News.
On the door of the church was a postponement notice from SLU President Fred Pestello, who stated it “became clear that we need to continue the work of building relationships with descendants before we are ready to proceed with a formal event,” University News reported.
“We are saddened by this change in today’s plans,” Pestello said in the notice, shown in a picture by PBS News. “However, this postponement does not signal an end to our engagement with reconciliation efforts. We remain hopeful for the future.”
On Feb. 27, the university held a ceremony honoring the lives of the enslaved individuals in collaboration with DSLUE. The university said the enslaved played a vital role in shaping the college.
“We’re here to take them (our ancestors) out of the darkness and bring them into the light for their contributions and for their sacrifice,” Proudie said during the ceremony, according to the university. “We are a living testament, and we will not stop until everyone who walks through these doors knows who — along with the Jesuit founders — were there doing the heavy lifting.”
This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Descendants of enslaved Black people refuse Missouri university’s apology. Here’s why."