To the Editor,

We, the undersigned, were students in Dr. Tia Noelle Pratt’s course, SOC 210:  Sociology of African-American Catholicism during the Spring 2015 and Spring 2016 semesters.  As such, we read The Hawk’s article, “St. Joe’s, Slavery and Jesuits” (4/27/2016) with great interest.  While in Dr. Pratt’s class, we spent a great deal of time discussing Jesuit slaveholding and how its legacy is found in the pervasiveness of structural racism in both the Roman Catholic Church and its affiliated institutions including St. Joe’s University.

We are heartened to know that this important issue has finally reached the university’s public domain. However, during our class discussion of your article, we found ourselves asking, “What’s next?”  One article in The Hawk is woefully insufficient to fully address the complexity of this issue.  To that end, we encourage The Hawk’s staff to continue to rigorously pursue this issue.  Specifically, we would like to see The Hawk investigate any connections between the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus’ mass sale of slaves in 1838 to the founding of Old St. Joseph’s Church in Philadelphia–the original site of St. Joseph’s University.  We would also like to see The Hawk and other university entities utilize the expertise of Dr. Pratt, and other scholars of color who study Catholicism, in these efforts.

We are aware that Dr. Pratt is scheduled to participate in an upcoming panel discussion, “Living with the Sins of the Past:  Perspectives on Jesuit Slaveholding.”  While we welcome this event and the discussion it will generate, by itself, it is not enough.  SJU must confront its own history and place in the legacy of Jesuit slaveholding.  This will only happen through intense investigation, reflection, and action.

Thank you for your important work in spearheading our university community’s engagement of this important issue.

Sincerely,

Brandon Bonair, ’16     

Emma Callahan, ’17     

Gregory Carroll, ’16, M.B.A., ’18     

Kendra Crawford, ’19    

Diana Cunningham, ’18   

Grace Davis, ’17      

Sarah DeMarco, ’17    

Cara Fierro, ’16      

Jeff Harris, ’15         

Briana Holloway, ’17    

Maryanne Kannampuzha, ’17   

Rebecca McIntyre, ’17     

Mary Meed, ’17       

Terrell Mills, ’16          

Shannon Mulhern, ’18           

Jacob Norberg, ’18          

Megan O’Donnell, ’18

Peter Pham, ’17            

Alix Philogene, ’16               

Jessica Polonio, ’17          

David Powis, ’18      

Andrew Sciscione, ’19     

Skylar Scrivano, ’16         

Courtney Simmons, ’17    

Theresa Ta, ’17         

Michael Tucker, ’15         

Samantha Walshak, ’16    

Stephen Weinmann, ’18    

Nicholas Weis, ’16