Descendants of Enslaved Offered Need-Based Scholarships through Partnership

Monique Trusclair MaddoxDescendants Truth & Reconciliation FoundationThe Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation announced applications are open for an advancement of education scholarship program in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF).

The scholarships will provide Descendants of Jesuit slaveholding in the United States with need-based scholarships of up to $10,000 for attendance at a historically Black college or university (HBCU) as well as other post-secondary institutions.

“Supporting the educational aspirations of the Descendants of Jesuit slaveholding is one of the cornerstones of our foundation's mission,” said Monique Trusclair Maddox, CEO and Board Chair of the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation. “Today marks an important day in the journey of our Foundation. Nothing creates opportunity like an effective education. I am heartened by the promise of opportunity this program will bring to Descendants of Jesuit slaveholding across the U.S.”

Officials said the initiative is part of the foundation’s core programming plans, which include: 1.) supporting the educational aspirations of Descendants from early childhood education through post-secondary education; 2.) investing in truth, racial healing, and reconciliation in communities and organizations throughout America; and 3.) supporting elderly and infirm Descendants.

Dr. Harry L. WilliamsThe Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation was born out of the 2016 discovery that in 1838, the Society of Jesus sold more than 272 enslaved men, women, and children from their plantations in Maryland to plantation owners in Louisiana to save Georgetown College from financial ruin. The foundation is a partnership between the Descendants of the enslaved and the present-day successors of the enslavers and seeks a joint moral path rather than a legal path to truth, racial healing, and transformation.

TMCF will administer the program funded by the foundation as a part of an initial 5-year scholarship program.

“The power of access to academic and inclusive excellence is profound, as it not only empowers human potential but also becomes a driving force for advancing equity,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, the president and CEO of TMCF. “We are proud to partner with the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation as they invest in the educational aspirations of the descendants of Jesuit slaveholding. Together, we can forge pathways to economic mobility and employment opportunities, championing a future where education catalyzes positive change and empowerment.”