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Juliana Zovak • May 4, 2016

“Only we the people can build a confident America. So, today, I am asking for your help,” House Speaker Paul Ryan told students April 27 at Georgetown University. The town hall event in Gaston Hall was hosted by the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service.

Ryan spoke about building a confident America before taking questions from students in the audience and via Twitter.

He began by telling the student crowd that he wanted to make the case for supporting Republicans.

“The America that you want is the America that we want: open, diverse, dynamic. It is what I call a confident America, where the condition of your birth does not determine the outcome of your life — where we tackle our problems together so that all of us can thrive.”

Ryan’s remarks covered student debt, the war on poverty and rehabilitation for criminals, among other issues, examples of the work needing to be done in this country. He urged the students in front of him to step up and get involved: “We need your ideas.”

After his speech, in keeping with the town hall format, Ryan took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves as he prepared to answer questions.

Inevitably, the talk turned to the current election, with one student asking what advice Ryan had for young Republicans who feel they have few desirable options in this race.

Ryan said that, beyond the person, young voters should consider the ideas and the platforms that are being advanced. “In front of you is not just a vote for a person, a political personality. In front of you, if we do our jobs the right way, will be a choice of two paths that you will have to take.”

Ryan also addressed questions about immigration, the Republican opposition to the Affordable Care Act and the difficulties students face in paying for higher education. He said he opposed the Democrats’ solutions to these problems and gave his reasons why. Though he highlighted the need for viable Republican alternatives, he did not always explicitly share those in his answers.

In his response to the question of paying for college, perhaps the issue closest to the hearts of the millennials in the hall, Ryan called for more competition in student lending and among colleges — and the need to have credits more easily transfer. He even commented on his host Georgetown University’s high tuition.

“Not everybody can afford a place like this. So how do we get this kind of an education within reach of people who have no chance of affording it?”
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Juliana Zovak •

Updated at noon, April 26.

Georgetown University undergraduate Edward Blatz Jr. passed away early Sunday, according to an email sent to the Georgetown community by Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson.

On April 26, Aquita Brown, a public affairs specialist for the Metropolitan Police Department, confirmed to The Georgetowner that the death which occurred April 24 at 1401 33rd Street NW was that of Edward Blatz, Jr.

Blatz, 21, was a junior in the McDonough School of Business and a member of the men’s lacrosse team. From Garden City, New York, he is survived by his parents, Edward Sr. and Anne Marie, and his two older sisters Elizabeth and Jessica.

The 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sunday Masses at Georgetown’s Dahlgren Chapel were held in Blatz’s memory. At the earlier service, students and faculty filled the chapel and lined the sides and the back of the church; many more stood outside in the courtyard. Father Raymond Kemp urged the congregation to hold one another close.

The Georgetown University Athletics Department released a statement Sunday quoting Kevin Warne, head coach of the lacrosse team: “Eddie was a great young man who was well-respected and well-liked by his teammates and the Georgetown lacrosse family. He was a very bright student and a talented player and words cannot express the loss we are feeling right now.”

On Sunday, a person familiar with the case said that the deceased was a Georgetown student and that the accidental death may have been caused by a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol.

Robert Devaney •

UPDATED at noon, April 26.

The Sunday morning discovery of a death at 1401 33rd St. NW stunned the quiet Georgetown neighborhood just as church was letting out. It is suspected but not yet confirmed that the deceased was Georgetown University student Edward Blatz., Jr.

The Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that there was a death report Sunday, April 24, at 1401 33rd St. NW. “This matter is currently being investigated as a death report,” MPD Second District Commander Melvin Gresham told The Georgetowner in an email. “There were no unusual circumstances involved at this point.”

On April 26, Aquita Brown, a public affairs specialist for the Metropolitan Police Department, confirmed to The Georgetowner that the death which occurred April 24 at 1401 33rd Street NW was that of Edward Blatz, Jr.

The white house at the northeast corner of 33rd and O Streets has been a group house for at least seven years, according to one neighbor. It is believed that the house is occupied by students from Georgetown University, four blocks to the west. Another neighbor said that a male student who was on the lacrosse team had overdosed and died. A person familiar with the case said that the student’s death may have been caused by a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol.

Late Sunday afternoon, one of Georgetown University’s student newspapers, the Hoya reported: “Edward Blatz, Jr., a junior on the men’s lacrosse team, died early Sunday, according to a university-wide email sent by Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson this afternoon. Known to many as ‘Eddie,’ Blatz played defense on the lacrosse team. . . . The cause of death has not been announced as of press time.”

Jeanne Lord, associate vice president of student affairs at Georgetown University, was seen entering the 33rd Street house midday. A young couple was seen at a nearby corner visibly upset.

MPD closed off 33rd Street north of O Street for a time.
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Percy Metcalfe • May 1, 2016

On April 20, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards came to Georgetown University to deliver a historic speech to a packed crowd of students. The significance of the event is found in the juxtaposition of Georgetown’s status as the oldest Catholic University in the country and Planned Parenthood’s title as the United States’ largest abortion provider.

Richards spoke at the invitation of the Lecture Fund, a non-partisan and student-run organization, which has previously hosted conservative commentator Ann Coulter and a slew of other notable guests. Her invitation was greeted with consternation by pro-life groups both on campus and around America, which considered the move an affront to the values of a supposedly Catholic and Jesuit university. Even Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Donald Wuerl condemned Georgetown by stating that it was not “within the Catholic tradition for a university to provide a special platform to those voices that promote or support” issues contrary to the Vatican’s views, such as abortion. (Wuerl is celebrating a Mass of Life April 21 at Epiphany Catholic Church in Georgetown.)

Despite the onslaught of criticism, Georgetown University administrators defended the Lecture Fund’s decision on the grounds of freedom of expression, stating that they hoped to “provide a forum that does not limit free speech.”

As she walked on stage, Richards was greeted by a standing ovation. In her opening remarks, she was quick to thank the university for standing by the Lecture Fund and stated the importance of the protection of free speech. She went on to recount her career as an activist, which started in earnest in middle school, when she wore a black armband to protest American involvement in Vietnam. (She is the daughter of former Texas governor Ann Richards.) Later, she told the story of Planned Parenthood’s foundation by Margaret Sanger 100 years ago. Sanger was arrested for distribution of birth control devices, information and advice, which violated the Comstock Law prohibiting “articles of immoral use.”

Richards explained how far Planned Parenthood and its mission have come since 1916. An estimated 1 in 5 women in the U.S. has frequented one of Planned Parenthood’s more than 650 health centers across the nation. Annually, 2.5 million women and men (men make up 10 percent of the organization’s clientele) visit Planned Parenthood centers in the United States. Planned Parenthood prevents approximately 579,000 unintended pregnancies per year and provided over 270,000 Pap tests and breast exams. She notes that teen pregnancy rates are at a 40-year low, thanks in large part to her organization’s work providing sexual education over the internet to 6 million people.

During her address, Richards emphasized the importance of the members of the Millennial generation sitting before her. “I’m constantly blown away by young people tackling issues that have been taboo for years,” she remarked, later referring to the fight over sexual violence on college campuses and the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the marginalization of the African American community. In addition, she praised the bravery of the scores of young volunteers and professionals who work in Planned Parenthood and embody the organization’s unofficial motto, “These Doors Stay Open,” when they unanimously decided to open the day after the shooting at a Planned Parenthood location in Colorado Springs in November 2015.

After her speech, Richards sat down for a conversation with two Georgetown students and Lecture Fund board members, Helen Brosnan and Elizabeth Rich. Together, they addressed issues including the recent Supreme Court case on whether recent legislation in Texas represents an “undue burden” on provision and attainment of safe and legal abortions. Richard unequivocally thinks that it does and that such laws merely masquerade under the “guise” of protecting women. She stated that in her ideal world the next president would work to overturn the Hyde Amendment, which forbids federal funds from being used for abortions.

In the first time in its history, Planned Parenthood has endorsed a presidential candidate during the primary season: former senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Richards cited Clinton’s introduction of eight separate bills to expand access to reproductive healthcare during her time in the Senate as reason for Planned Parenthood’s support. “I can’t wait for the day partisan politics gets out of reproductive healthcare,” Richards said.

The three women on stage also touched on the recent allegations that Planned Parenthood was involved in the selling of body parts obtained through abortion. Richards denounced these accusations, referring to the footage that raised the concerns as “deceptively edited.” She reminded the audience that Planned Parenthood has been exonerated of any wrongdoing by a Texas grand jury and that the creators of the video have been indicted in their place.

A short question-and-answer session followed the conversation, during which Richards invited a pro-life student to visit a health center to see for herself what type of work is done there. An atmosphere of politeness prevailed throughout.

Outside the event, however, protesters gathered on a cordoned-off section of campus. They were led by Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood employee turned pro-life activist, who delivered a speech at Dahlgren Chapel at 7:30 pm on the same day. The protesters’ banners and signs labeled Cecile Richards “a felon” and demanded the federal government switch funding from Planned Parenthood to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which provide women’s health services but not abortion.

In an interview with the Georgetowner, Johnson stated that her goal was to “debunk the myth that women don’t have other options outside of Planned Parenthood” and called that claim “a blatant lie.” Johnson said that despite Planned Parenthood’s numerous health services, it only provides these to “eventually sell a product to a patient, and that is abortion.”

Johnson is the founder of And Then There Were None, an organization dedicated to helping abortion clinic workers leave the industry. According to Johnson, in the past three years, 218 clinic workers, including six full-time abortion doctors, have done just that.
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Georgetowner • April 27, 2016

Smithsonian Craft Show
APRIL 22ND, 2016 AT 10:30 AM | EVENT WEBSITE

The Smithsonian Craft Show is considered the country’s most prestigious juried show and sale of fine American craft. Dale Chihuly and Toots Zynsky, world-renowned glass artists and recipients of the Smithsonian Craft Show Visionary Artist Awards, will headline the list of more than 75 outstanding artists who donated over 90 works to this year’s Smithsonian Craft Show Online Auction.

National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW

30th Annual Filmfest DC
APRIL 22ND, 2016 AT 12:00 AM | $10-$100 | FILMFESTDC@FILMFESTDC.ORG | TEL: 202-234-3456 | EVENT WEBSITE

The festival will bring 75 films from 35 countries to show on 6 screens across 11 days during 1 exciting festival. Numerous directors and filmmakers will be present throughout the festival for questions and/or discussions.

AMC Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW, and Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW

C&O Canal Pride Days
APRIL 23RD, 2016 AT 09:00 AM | FREE | DRAPER@CANALTRUST.ORG | TEL: 301-714-2233 | EVENT WEBSITE

Do you take pride in your neighborhood National Park, the C&O Canal? Show it off by volunteering for a day of restoration, revitalization, and fun during one of the C&O Canal Trust’s Canal Pride Days.

C&O Canal National Historical Park, 11710 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac, Maryland

Temperance Walking Tour
APRIL 23RD, 2016 AT 01:00 PM | $49 | TEL: 202-633-3030 | EVENT WEBSITE

Garrett Peck leads a Smithsonian Associates tour of D.C.’s quirky Prohibition history, setting off from the Cogswell Temperance Fountain.

7th Street and Indiana Avenue NW

Author Talk: Michelle Nzadi Keita
APRIL 23RD, 2016 AT 02:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-633-4820 | EVENT WEBSITE

Michelle Nzadi Keita will speak about and sign copies of her book, “Brief Evidence of Heaven: Poems from the Life of Anna Murray Douglass.” Anna Murray Douglass was the first wife of Frederick Douglass.

Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place SE

Jazz at the Atlas
APRIL 23RD, 2016 AT 08:00 PM | $28 | TEL: 202-399-7993 | EVENT WEBSITE

The Tizer Trio, a “world jazz fusion powerhouse” led by keyboardist Lao Tizer, performs.

Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE

Shakespeare’s Birthday
APRIL 24TH, 2016 AT 12:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-544-4600 | EVENT WEBSITE

Celebrate the Bard’s birthday with music, puppets, stage combat demonstrations, cake, Elizabethan crafts and an appearance by Queen E. herself.

Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE

National Gallery Concert: Inscape
APRIL 24TH, 2016 AT 03:30 PM | FREE | EVENT WEBSITE

The ensemble performs music by Chen Yi, Toru Takemitsu and other Asian composers.

National Gallery of Art, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW

Georgetowner •

Inside the Diplomatic Reception Rooms
APRIL 14TH, 2016 AT 06:45 PM | $45 | TEL: 202-633-3030 | EVENT WEBSITE

Marcee F. Craighill will give an illustrated lecture about the State Department’s recreated period rooms. The ticket price includes a 45-minute daytime tour of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms on a selection of dates.

S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW

The Sculptor’s Journey
APRIL 14TH, 2016 AT 06:30 PM | $15 | TEL: 202-337-3050 | EVENT WEBSITE

Sarah Tanguy moderates a stimulating discussion with noted Washington area sculptors including Emilie Brzezinski and Jae Ko.

Kreeger Museum, 2401 Foxhall Road NW

Left Bank String Quartet
APRIL 15TH, 2016 AT 12:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-331-7282 | EVENT WEBSITE

The Left Bank Quartet performs works by Beethoven and Stravinsky with guest cellist Eric Kutz.

Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St. NW

Opening Reception: Panacea’s Box
APRIL 15TH, 2016 AT 07:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-462-7833 | EVENT WEBSITE

This reception offers visitors a first look at the newest Nano Gallery exhibition, Panacea’s Box, featuring gorgeous shadowboxes by Zofie Lang in which fictional remedies are crafted into small vignettes using dollhouse drawers, original photography and found objects.

2438 18th St. NW

Hickey Freeman Trunk Show
APRIL 16TH, 2016 AT 10:00 AM | TEL: 202-298-7464 | EVENT WEBSITE

Everard’s hosts a Hickey Freeman trunk show with 10% off made-to-measure items.

1802 Wisconsin Ave. NW

Bike Tour: Past, Present and Future of NoMa
APRIL 16TH, 2016 AT 10:00 AM | $35 | EVENT WEBSITE

For Architecture Week, Toole Design Group will lead a bike tour through NoMa highlighting projects such as the Uline Arena, Union Station and Constitution Square. Participants must bring their own bike and helmet.

51 N St. NE

National Cherry Blossom Parade
APRIL 16TH, 2016 AT 10:00 AM | FREE ($20 FOR GRANDSTAND SEATING) | EVENT WEBSITE

One of D.C.’s largest spectator events, the energy-filled National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, presented by Events DC, runs for 10 blocks along iconic Constitution Avenue. Giant colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country and celebrity performers provide a spring-inspired spectacle of music and showmanship seen only once a year.

Constitution Avenue NW between 7th and 17th Streets

Caribbean Party at the Embassy of the Bahamas
APRIL 16TH, 2016 AT 08:00 PM | $55 | TEL: 202-319-2660 | EVENT WEBSITE

Embassy Experiences will deliver the Spirit of Nassau and Paradise Island with a diplomatic touch as the new ambassador welcomes young professionals to a special cultural evening at the Embassy of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, recreating a visit to this Caribbean jewel.

Embassy of the Bahamas, 2220 Massachusetts Ave. NW

Cherry Blossom Brunch with DCPL Foundation
APRIL 17TH, 2016 AT 11:00 AM | $35 | EVENT WEBSITE

The D.C. Public Library Foundation will host a Cherry Blossom Brunch where all in attendance can enjoy cherry blossom-inspired bites, mimosas and crafts. The afternoon will give guests a chance to use state-of-the-art technology.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW

Music of Bernard Hermann
APRIL 17TH, 2016 AT 03:30 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-737-4215 | EVENT WEBSITE

PostClassical Ensemble performs works by Bernard Hermann, composer of legendary film scores including those for “Citizen Kane” and “Psycho.”

National Gallery of Art, 401 Constitution Ave. NW

The Beats, the Bauhaus and the Birth of Abstract Film
APRIL 17TH, 2016 AT 06:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 800-444-1324 | EVENT WEBSITE

The Kennedy Center hosts a survey of short animated films from the 1920s with a soundtrack composed and performed live by Chicago electric violist and DJ Dominic Johnson.

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW

Georgetowner •

Most of the District’s events in celebration of Emancipation Day — April 16, 1862, when 3,185 enslaved residents of the District of Columbia were freed, about eight months before the Emacipation Proclamation — will take place on Saturday.

Following the 1 p.m. parade (which follows the Cherry Blossom parade), there will be a concert on Freedom Plaza; a “truck touch,” when kids can touch parked trucks and snow plows; and fireworks.

But on Friday, some rush-hour lane operations will be impacted, according to the District Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Works.

Here’s what drivers need to know:

There will be no reversible lane operations on the following roadways:
• Connecticut Avenue NW between Legation Street and Woodley Road
• 16th Street NW between Arkansas Avenue and Irving Street.
Drivers should anticipate congestion on the inbound lanes during morning rush and the outbound lanes during the evening rush hours.

DDOT will run reversible lane operations on the following roadways:
• Canal Road between Chain Bridge and Foxhall Road NW
• Independence Avenue between 4th Street SW and 2nd Street SE
• Rock Creek Parkway (controlled by the National Park Service).
Parking regulations, including weekday rush-hour parking restrictions, expired meters, residential parking and street sweeping will be suspended for the holiday.

DPW will enforce parking restrictions Friday, April 15, along the streetcar line on H Street/Benning Road NE. “Blocked” Streetcar Parking Enforcement occurs every day, including weekends and holidays, along H Street and Benning Road NE, between 3rd Street and Oklahoma Avenue NE. On Sundays and holidays, enforcement occurs between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Enforcement on Mondays to Thursdays occurs 6 a.m. to midnight; and on Fridays and Saturdays, enforcement runs between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. Normal enforcement citywide resumes Saturday, April 16.

Richard Selden •

The 13th annual French Market, along the boutique-and-gallery-filled Book Hill section of Wisconsin Avenue, will run for three days instead of two, Friday, April 29, through Sunday, May 1.

Organized by the Georgetown Business Improvement District and sponsored by TD Bank, the French Market isn’t strictly French, but as you sample a croissant, sip Sancerre and sidewalk-shop, you may feel that you’re spending the afternoon in Paris (or, at least, Europe).

The blocks between P Street and Reservoir Road, where Book Hill Park begins, will be enlivened with music, street performers and activities for kids on Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday music line-up includes Swing Guitars DC with Daisy Castro, Bitter Dose Combo and Mary Alouette and the Crew. On Sunday, Laissez Foure (how clever can you get?) will perform.

The French Market is not only kid-friendly, but dog-friendly. On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors can have their picture taken with their dog(s) at the Parisian Pup Photo Booth, courtesy of A-list Photo Booths. Unleashed by Petco is providing treats.

Also on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Revolution Cycles and DC Bike Ride are offering free bicycle spot checks in the parking lot at Wisconsin and P Street. The first 100 bicyclists who stop by Patisserie Poupon’s booth in the same lot will receive a free gift bag.

Speaking of bags, on Sunday between noon and 3 p.m. in the TD Bank parking lot at Wisconsin and Q Street, a limited-edition Georgetown French Market tote bag will be screen-printed by Soul & Ink before your very eyes for $10 (while they last).

Friday and Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday hours are noon to 5 p.m. About three dozen shops and cafes are offering French Market discounts of up to 75 percent. Here is the list (or, as they say in French, la liste), adapted from the Georgetown BID website:

A MANO, 1677 Wisconsin: Clearance, up to 75 percent off.
Appalachian Spring, 1455 Wisconsin: Broken Hearts Sale, up to 50 percent off.
Artist’s Proof, 1533 Wisconsin: Spring art collection, prints by Carol Rowan, John Stango and others, 20 percent off coffee-table art books by Phaidon and Taschen.
Bacchus Wine Cellar, 1635 Wisconsin: Six-pack of wines in a canvas tote for $50, samples offered for tasting prior to purchase, 15 percent off all French wines.
Cafe Bonaparte, 1522 Wisconsin: Sweet and savory crepe stand, $5 per crepe.
Cross MacKenzie Gallery, 1675 Wisconsin: Discounts on all artwork in the gallery and affordable functional ceramic pieces outside.
Egg by Susan Lazar, 1661 Wisconsin: Sample sale items, 20 percent off everything full price.
Ella Rue, 3231 P: In-store basement sale and sidewalk sale, $30- and $20-and-under racks, 50 percent off jewelry on Wisconsin in front of Carine’s, Steals & Deals 50 to 75 percent off.
Georgetown Lutheran Church, 1556 Wisconsin: Church and garden open to visitors, free treats.
Georgetown Olive Oil Co., 1524 Wisconsin: Free small bottle of Champagne wine vinegar with purchase, 15 to 30 percent off select items, French-inspired variety packs and gifts.
Illusions Salon of Georgetown, 1629 Wisconsin: Parisian-inspired hair show, Kerasilk launch party hosted by Goldwell, giveaways, beauty tips from the Illusions Team, complimentary makeup applications by a Jane Iredale artist, discounts on selected items.
Jaco Juice & Taco Bar, 1614 Wisconsin: 15 percent off regular-menu items, special limited tasting menu, fresh juices and smoothies.
Jaryam, 1531 Wisconsin: 70 percent off select clothing.
LiLi The First, 1419 Wisconsin: 15 percent off regular-price items and 50 percent off sale items.
Little Birdies Boutique, 1526 Wisconsin: 50 percent off past-season styles and headbands and bows, newborn to size 10 designer clothing on sale including French children’s clothing lines Baby Dior, Petite Plume, Petite Annette and Petite Bateau, French-inspired baby plates, sippy cups, bowls, utensils.
Lynn Louisa, 1631 Wisconsin: Up to 70 percent off, including Parisian designer brands Margaux Lonnberg and Gat Rimon apparel, Adeline Affre jewelry.
Manny and Olga’s Pizza, 1641 Wisconsin: $3 fresh pizza slices, $1 drinks.
Marston Luce, 1651 Wisconsin: Selection of 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century French and Swedish furniture and accessories, carefully chosen jewelry.
Matt Camron Rugs, 1651 Wisconsin: Rugs and textiles.
Maurine Littleton Gallery, 1667 Wisconsin: 20 percent off SwitchWood interchangeable wooden bow ties, 10 percent off monogrammed cuff links.
Moss & Co., 1657 Wisconsin: Up to 75 percent off, assortment of home accessories, antiques (including French antiques), furniture, garden items, jewelry.
Patisserie Poupon, 1645 Wisconsin: Illy coffee station, French pastries including croissants, kouign amman, eclairs, tarts and macarons, grilled specialties including merguez, flank steak, chicken and toulouse sausage, French tablecloths, linens and handmade baskets.
Pho Viet & Grille, 1639 Wisconsin: 30 to 40 percent off Vietnamese sandwiches, Viet salad and Viet coffee drink.
Pretty Chic, 1671 Wisconsin: 60 percent off throughout the entire store excluding consignment items, Secret Garden Special with $5, $10 and $20 racks.
Reddz Trading, 1413 Wisconsin: 20 percent off everything in the store excluding Chanel and Hermès.
Sherman Pickey, 1647 Wisconsin: 20 percent off everything in the store excluding Chanel and Hermès.
Susan Calloway Fine Arts, 1643 Wisconsin: Classic modern designs inspired by Chinese ceramics by Georgetown-based Middle Kingdom Ceramics at street level, 40 percent off antique and vintage French paintings inside.
TD Bank, 1611Wisconsin: Portraits by caricature artist on Saturday.
The Bean Counter, 1665 Wisconsin: 10 percent off sandwiches.
The Phoenix, 1514 Wisconsin: 20 percent off jewelry by French designer Selen, 20 to 50 percent off spring and fall clothing from Eileen Fisher, Oska, White + Warren.
Via Umbria, 1525 Wisconsin: Discounted Italian olive oils, foods and ceramics, French cooking class and dinner with chef-sommelier Vickie Reh on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Washington Printmakers Gallery, 1641 Wisconsin: Friday from 1 to 3 p.m., “Make and Take” prints for children 3-12.
Zannchi, 1529 Wisconsin: Special Kimbap (rolls) and tea.

Juliana Zovak • April 22, 2016

Dr. Adam Rothman, a member of Georgetown University’s Working Group on Slavery, Memory & Reconciliation, spoke in Lauinger Library today, April 18, about the university’s history in connection with the Jesuits’ sale of 272 slaves in 1838.

“It seems to me that the story of Georgetown and slavery is a microcosm of the whole history of slavery,” he said.

The discussion, scheduled in honor of D.C. Emancipation Day, comes on the heels of a front-page story in Sunday’s New York Times detailing Georgetown University’s history with slavery and asked what, if anything, should be done for the descendants of those slaves, sold at the initiative of President Rev. Thomas Mulledy, S.J.

Rothman, an associate professor of history at Georgetown, spoke about documents found in the university archives that document the transaction that sent 272 slaves from the Jesuits’ Maryland plantation to former Louisiana governor (later U.S. Congressman) Henry Johnson and his associate Jesse Beatty.

Entries from 1813 and 1814 in the diary of Rev. John McElroy, S.J., offer insight into the connections the Jesuits had with slavery, and the articles of agreement between Mulledy and Johnson and Beatty detail the terms of the sale: $115,000 to be paid in a series of installments. Rothman estimated that in today’s dollars the amount would be equivalent to, conservatively, $3 million.

“Humans were transformed into commodities,” he said.

Rothman highlighted another document, an 1848 letter from James Van de Velde, S.J., of St. Louis, who inquired into the circumstances of the slaves who were sold. Van de Velde found that their families had been separated and that they had not been given ample opportunity to practice their religion, violations of the terms in the articles of agreement.

Rothman pointed out that while these documents are vitally important to the understanding of Georgetown’s involvement in slavery, they only tell one side of the story.

“What we so often lack is the perspective of enslaved people themselves,” he said.

At the end of the talk, a man named Joe Brown spoke up from near the back of the room. He said that his ancestors had been slaves whose lives followed a similar trajectory at the hands of the Catholic Church in Maryland. Coincidentally, he had been at the library researching his family history at the same time as the discussion.

Brown shared his story of being raised in the Catholic Church and then coming to understand how the church had been part of his family history in a terrible way. He spoke quietly and emotionally about his new doubts and whether he could still have faith and raise his children in the Church.

His comments made Rothman’s earlier remarks about looking at slavery in its local context, in order to humanize a difficult subject, very real to the listeners. When Brown’s story was followed by another attendee’s question about reconciliation, Rothman himself was overcome with emotion and could not answer.

Rothman later said that the first step of truth and reconciliation is truth. He spoke of the possibility of scholarship programs and memorials on campus, while noting that conversation is ongoing and no decisions have yet been made.

“My own personal opinion is that nothing is sufficient,” he said.