As colleges investigate slavery ties, George Washington University joins in

This is a moment that has arrived on so many college campuses already. There is Georgetown University, which has worked to confront its ties to slavery. And the University of Virginia, where officials are planning a memorial to commemorate the contributions of enslaved people who helped build the school.

These conversations are now playing out at another institution: George Washington University, where students will have the chance to dig deep into their school’s history, with a spring class on slavery, segregation and the university.

“This is a movement we’ve seen on campuses, I would say, over the past decade,” said Terry Murphy, deputy provost for academic affairs. “We have a lot of faculty on this campus, and students, who are interested in some of the broader issues that surround this question — questions about race and social justice. So I don’t think it’s surprising that either faculty or students or staff are interested in the topic.”