ST. LOUIS (TND) — Nearly 200 descendants of enslaved people who helped construct Saint Louis University in Missouri reportedly asked the school Thursday for $70 billion in reparations.
Members of the Descendants of the Saint Louis University Enslaved (DSLUE), whose lineage dates back to 19th Century slaves Henrietta Mills and Charles Chauvin, argue the university owes them for 42 years worth of unpaid labor, according to Spectrum News St. Louis.
“We say to Saint Louis University today, ‘you know who the descendants are, you now have information required to make true reconciliation, to right a grievous wrong, to make history,’” Avrea Martin, who represents DSLUE, announced, according to KWMU.
Former Bennett College President Julianne Malveaux estimated the reparations amount by valuing 70 enslaved persons’ daily work from 1823 to 1865, according to FOX News. A baseline figure of $365 million reportedly reaches $70 billion when incorporating interest owed.
“The calculations that we came up with and the method that we used are time-honored methods,” Malveaux said, according to Spectrum News. “The university, quite frankly, is overdue, negligent and wrong.”
Martin suggested the amount will pressure the university to honor contributions by enslaved people.
READ MORE | ‘Squad’ member calls for slave descendants to get $333K each: ‘Do the right thing’
“We do know that providing this valuation gives us a starting point to start talking about reconciliation,” she remarked, according to KWMU. “It starts with recognizing your obligation to discord even a fraction of the value of their ancestors’ labor that was used to build this storied institution.”
Saint Louis University did not immediately respond to The National Desk’s request for comment Tuesday. The school conceded to KSDK its progress toward reconciling its injustices has been inadequate.
“At this point, we can affirm that we understand and share the sense of urgency expressed by several members of the descendant community. SLU’s participation in the institution of slavery was a grave sin,” the university reportedly stated. “We acknowledge that progress on our efforts to reconcile with this shameful history has been slow, and we regret the hurt and frustration this has caused.”
READ MORE | Detroit reparations task force hit with resignations over lack of ‘strategic vision,’ report says
Saint Louis University declared it would work with slaves’ descendants to address recognition of their efforts.
“Continuing this work is a priority for SLU and the Society of Jesus,” the school told KSDK. “As we move forward, we hope to re-establish and build deeper relationships with all descendant families, to explore together how best to honor the memory of those who were enslaved by the Jesuits.”
Follow Ray Lewis on X for trending national news @rayjlewis or send a tip to rjlewis@sbgtv.com.