Robin Proudie, founder and executive director of Descendants of St. Louis University Enslaved (DSLUE), is doing critical work in historical justice and reparations advocacy.
In 2019, a letter from a Jesuit priest shattered the silence surrounding one family’s hidden history. The discovery that their ancestors had been trafficked and enslaved by the Jesuits at Saint Louis University (SLU) was both devastating and illuminating. For generations, the truth had been buried behind institutional walls, but now it was coming to light. This pivotal moment inspired the founding of Descendants of St. Louis University Enslaved (DSLUE), an organization committed to seeking historical accountability and meaningful reparations from SLU and the Jesuits.
A Life-Changing Discovery
The revelation was bittersweet. “It got real for me when I saw the records—the actual day my great-grandparents, three times removed, Charles and Henrietta Mills Chauvin, were allowed to marry—not because they had the freedom to choose, but because they were essentially being bred,” said the founder of DSLUE. The weight of learning that their ancestors had labored under enslavement to build and sustain SLU was overwhelming. “These weren’t just names on a list. They were real people—my family—whose existence had been erased.”
For the family, reconnecting with their bloodline was both painful and empowering. It provided long-sought answers and ignited a determination to ensure their ancestors’ contributions were no longer ignored. In 2023, driven by this mission, the founder sold their home and moved to St. Louis to bring their ancestors’ legacy into the public consciousness.
Achieving Historical Justice
Since its founding, DSLUE has made remarkable strides in advocating for reparative action. One of its most significant achievements is the upcoming formal apology ceremony from SLU, scheduled for March 26, 2025, at St. Francis Xavier College Church—a church built with the labor of enslaved ancestors. This marks the first time SLU will publicly acknowledge its historical role in slavery.
DSLUE has also secured media coverage, mobilized community support, and influenced SLU’s Student Government Association to adopt a resolution supporting the descendants. The organization has created a platform where descendant voices are finally being heard.
What True Accountability Looks Like
For DSLUE, true accountability extends beyond symbolic gestures. “Scholarships alone won’t close the racial wealth gap,” the founder emphasized. DSLUE’s 10-Point Remedies Plan outlines a comprehensive reparations strategy that includes:
• Direct financial restitution through an endowment where DSLUE descendants are exclusive shareholders.
• Full scholarships for descendants at SLU, covering tuition, room, board, and academic support.
• Economic development opportunities such as access to real estate investments and small business funding to rebuild generational wealth.
• Memorialization through permanent campus memorials and building renaming to honor enslaved ancestors.
• Historical education by integrating the university’s slaveholding history into its curriculum.
“Accountability is about repairing the ongoing harm in measurable ways,” said the founder. “SLU must engage in structural change that benefits the descendants and the broader Black community.”
Overcoming Resistance
Advocating for reparations has not been without challenges. “Many institutions have never engaged in this kind of work before, and it shows,” the founder explained. Despite calling for transparency, DSLUE has faced imbalanced power dynamics and extractive engagement from the university. “How can institutions expect transparency from us while refusing to offer the same in return?”
Resistance also comes from those who compartmentalize history, refusing to acknowledge its lasting impact. But DSLUE has countered this by building coalitions with students, historians, journalists, and community allies to apply public pressure and hold SLU accountable.
How to Support the Movement
Support for DSLUE’s mission requires both advocacy and action. Individuals and organizations can:
• Educate themselves about reparations and the ongoing harm caused by slavery.
• Advocate for policy reforms and institutional accountability.
• Provide financial support to sustain DSLUE’s initiatives.
• Collaborate by offering skills in research, legal support, and historical documentation.
• Attend the National Reparations Rally in Washington, D.C., on May 17, 2025.
To learn more or get involved, visit www.dslue.org. Reparations require collective action, and together, DSLUE is ensuring that the legacy of those who built SLU is finally acknowledged, honored, and repaired.
Images Courtesy of Publicist.
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