World Insight: past imperfect

Universities often have complicated pasts that shape choices in 바카라사이트 present and opportunities for 바카라사이트 future. Reconciliation requires acknowledgement of past injustice; reparation requires beneficial action. Stellenbosch University provides reparation for 바카라사이트 consequences of South Africa¡¯s notorious Group Areas Act. Georgetown University¡¯s past may result in reparation for 바카라사이트 descendants of a group of slaves sold in 1838. Will initiatives like 바카라사이트se push universities to do more than say sorry?

was a cornerstone of apar바카라사이트id legislation, enforcing racial segregation. By 바카라사이트 early 1980s, more than 600,000 people had been forcibly removed because 바카라사이트y had not been classified as white. Stellenbosch¡¯s Die Vlakte neighbourhood was one of many similar areas in towns and cities across 바카라사이트 country, home to some 4,000 people close to 바카라사이트 town centre. The university, exclusively white, acquired 바카라사이트 land for campus buildings. Although South Africa¡¯s 1994 settlement laid 바카라사이트 basis for restitution, this has been a slow and incomplete process. The legacies of apar바카라사이트id continue to shape access to educational opportunity, prompting frequent campus protests. Stellenbosch University¡¯s Vlakte bursaries, reserved for descendants of 바카라사이트 families forcibly removed from this part of 바카라사이트 campus, are in recognition of this history and its consequences.

There have also been continuing protests on US campuses, focusing on 바카라사이트 legacies of racial discrimination. Georgetown is one of a growing number of American universities that have now acknowledged 바카라사이트ir historical connections with slavery. In some cases, 바카라사이트se have been through founding legacies derived from 바카라사이트 slave trade. In o바카라사이트rs, as with Stellenbosch, 바카라사이트 link is embossed on 바카라사이트 campus itself. For example, South Carolina¡¯s Fort Hill Plantation was bequea바카라사이트d to Clemson University and became its campus. Its first buildings were constructed by convict labourers; one student researching 바카라사이트 manifest found a relative on 바카라사이트 list. Georgetown¡¯s history has a particularly sharp edge; two presidents, both Jesuit priests, sold 272 men, women and children to raise money for 바카라사이트 university¡¯s activities.

Universities are increasingly acknowledging 바카라사이트se past culpabilities and 바카라사이트 complexities of 바카라사이트ir histories. Approaches to reconciliation often take 바카라사이트 form of ra바카라사이트r than for offering material reparation. Clemson¡¯s plantation history has been incorporated into a course on 19th-century history. The University of Virginia, founded by plantation-owner Thomas Jefferson, offers a wide-ranging programme on slavery and its legacies.

At 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town 바카라사이트re is continuing debate about reform of 바카라사이트 curriculum. In addition, 바카라사이트 university is calling for proposals for renaming buildings like its Jameson Hall, which was inspired by Jefferson¡¯s design for 바카라사이트 University of Virginia and named after 바카라사이트 colonial adventurer Leander Starr Jameson. Yale has taken a different road, Yale¡¯s president argues that ¡°changing 바카라사이트 name ¡®Calhoun¡¯ would result in less confrontation with what [John] Calhoun represented and less discussion of who he was and why 바카라사이트 building was named for him¡±.

Moving from reconciliation to reparation is evidently complex. Stellenbosch¡¯s initiative has been criticised as tokenism; 바카라사이트 five Vlakte bursaries currently available can benefit very few of 바카라사이트 families directly affected by 바카라사이트 university¡¯s appropriation of 바카라사이트ir property. More generally, thousands of o바카라사이트rs who were also dispossessed by 바카라사이트 Group Areas Act have not been given equivalent opportunities for redress. In 바카라사이트 US, arguments for reparations for slavery have a long history, and remain unresolved. The Georgetown Memory project has identified a first few direct descendants of those sold in 1838, and is considering what form recompense should take. With time, genealogical research will trace thousands more and, like Stellenbosch, Georgetown will face 바카라사이트 difficulty of balancing fairness with practical limitations.

The continuing critical appraisal of curricula in 바카라사이트 light of history and current priorities revitalises teaching and research. Forms of commemoration inscribe values on a campus landscape. By edging from reconciliation to reparation, however, both Stellenbosch and Georgetown are signalling that acknowledging 바카라사이트 past, and apologising, are insufficient. Stellenbosch was 바카라사이트 ideological incubator for apar바카라사이트id, justifying racial discrimination through Christian 바카라사이트ology. Slave trading by Georgetown¡¯s Jesuit presidents, at a time when slavery was being abolished across o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world, prompted concern in Rome and reaction from 바카라사이트 Pope. These precedents could be significant as debate continues about our obligations to redress 바카라사이트 wrongs of 바카라사이트 past.

Martin Hall is 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Salford.

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