Georgetown 272 The Journey

Georgetown 272 The Journey recounts the harrowing story of the 272 enslaved men, women, and children who were sold in 1838 by Georgetown University to pay off its debts, forcibly uprooted from Maryland and sent to plantations in Louisiana, where families were torn apart and lives forever altered. Long hidden in archival records, their identities have only recently been uncovered through the work of historians and curators, while descendants have begun to trace their lineage and confront the painful legacy of their ancestors’ sale.

The new documentary, Georgetown 272 The Journey, explores how the university’s 2015 acknowledgment and apology sparked a broader reckoning with its ties to slavery, situating the sale within the larger system that bound American institutions, churches, and the economy to enslaved labor. More than a historical account, the film examines the enduring impact of this injustice, emphasizing that the story of the 272 is not just Georgetown’s past, but part of America’s ongoing struggle to confront and understand the lasting legacy of slavery.