( ENSPIRE She Did That ) Proudie Is Founder & Executive Director of Descendants Of St. Louis University Enslaved
Robin Proudie is the founder and executive director of Descendants of St. Louis University Enslaved (DSLUE). Its mission is to educate and repair historical and lingering harms from institutions. Their work focuses on historical justice and reparations advocacy by cultivating transformative pathways. In 2019, researchers from the Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation ( SHMR) Project, a collaboration between the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and Saint Louis University. They reached out to Proudie and her family to share their ancestry and how they were among those enslaved by the Jesuits. Proudie wanted to bring awareness to the injustices and advocate and honor the men, women, and children whose forced, unpaid labor built and sustained Saint Louis University.
Proudie is a decorated U.S. Navy veteran and retired civil servant with over 24 years of federal service. She held a top-secret clearance at the Pentagon and served in key roles at the Department of Justice and U.S. Courts. Retired in 2022, her continuous work at DSLUE has shed light on institutions that have profited from historical injustices and have been held accountable. In the most recent news, DSLUE released a statement on Saint Louis University’s A Path Towards Reconciliation Event, which states that St. Louis University did not honor their commitments through this event, which was to be held on March 26, 2025. After submitting a 10-point plan in April 2024, Saint Louis University has chosen to move forward with an agenda and program inconsistent with commitments made after months of private planning and collaboration. Founder Proudie was disappointed with the circumstances. There is hope that a meaningful dialogue to address all elements of the remedy plan can happen in the future.
In what ways have you raised awareness and brought accountability to the forefront when speaking with institutions about their harmful actions regarding slavery and trafficking from history?
Our approach was rooted in presence and patience in the first few years. We simply showed up—on campus, at events, and in classrooms—quietly letting Saint Louis University know that we were here and weren’t going anywhere. It wasn’t about confrontation; it was about connection. I began building relationships with faculty like Dr. Christopher Tinson, Dr. Clarice Thompson, and Dr. Richard Marks, who graciously invited me to speak to their students about the untold history and lived experiences of our Jesuit-enslaved ancestors—and how that legacy still impacts our communities today.
What I found was that students were not only eager to learn, they were hungry for truth. As those relationships deepened, I began working more closely with student leaders. I presented the history to the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Black Student Union, inviting them to call on SLU to adopt our 10-Point Plan for Reparative Justice. Their response was powerful and historic: the SGA voted unanimously to adopt Resolution 007-24 in solidarity with DSLUE.
This milestone and our viral teach-in on SLU’s campus—where we publicly calculated the cost of the labor extracted from our ancestors—helped compel university leadership to create two descendant liaison positions. That engagement led to what was supposed to be the first step toward accountability: a formal apology.
Another way we’ve raised awareness is through public campaigns like our Black History Month billboard initiative—Black History Lives! This effort brought our message beyond the campus and into the wider St. Louis community, pushing back against the rising tide of historical revisionism and the ongoing attempts to erase the legacies of Black Americans in this country.
Explain the three pillars, remembrance, restoration, and repair, and their significance in DSLUE’s mission and importance to the community.
Remembrance means honoring our Jesuit/SLU-enslaved ancestors by making sure their names are spoken, “Proteus and Anny, Charles and Henrietta, Matilda and upwards of seventy more, ensuring their stories are told and their contributions are no longer hidden or erased. This isn’t about simply reflecting on the past—it’s about actively reclaiming it. Whether through historical research, teaching, advocacy, or public memorials, we’re bearing witness. We’re saying: they were here, they built this, and they will not be forgotten. In that way, remembrance becomes a form of resistance—especially in today’s climate.
Restoration is about repairing what was deliberately broken—our families, health, wealth, and sense of identity. So much was stolen across generations, and we can’t move forward until we start to put some of those pieces back together. That includes restoring lost histories, rebuilding community ties, and creating new pathways for descendants to thrive.
Repair is where we draw the line between acknowledgment and action. We’re not asking for charity—we’re calling for accountability. The harm was not only historical; it’s ongoing. From enslavement to redlining, from forced labor to mass incarceration—our communities are still carrying the weight. That’s why we push for tangible, measurable forms of reparative justice. Because if we’re serious about reconciliation, repentance is part of the equation. The harm was intergenerational and multi-dimensional, and so should the repair.
What community engagements do you fondly remember that have impacted newcomers’ learning and joining DSLUE?
Two moments come to mind that truly brought the SLU community and descendants together in powerful and transformative ways.
The Lights of Remembrance Ceremony was first held during Black History Month 2025. It was the first time in Saint Louis University’s history that students, faculty, staff, and descendants came together in sacred reflection to honor the lives of those who were enslaved by the Jesuits and forced to build and sustain the University. I had the honor of working closely with Sam Hall, a SLU graduate student, to help bring this event to life. Together, we created a space for mourning and honoring—a space that reclaimed truth and lit a path toward healing.
From the traditional West African drum call to the libation ceremony, the voices of students reading ancestor names, the poetry and ragtime tribute to our ancestor, Louis I. Chauvin, it was deeply moving. For many, this was the first time they heard the names, saw the faces, and learned the stories of the enslaved individuals whose labor built the very foundation of SLU. I remember saying that night, “We’re here to take them out of the darkness and bring them into the light.” And that’s exactly what we did. SLU student volunteers, university leaders, and respected historians were present, helping to affirm that this history belongs at the center of the university’s story—not buried beneath it.
The second moment was our DSLUE Elders Appreciation Dinner, where we reintroduced a tradition of honoring our living lineage-bearers—those who have held our families and histories together through generations of silence and struggle. Each elder was draped in a custom Sankofa Kente stole and presented with a ceremonial walking cane symbolizing wisdom, strength, and leadership to be passed down.
This evening was even more special when my sister, Missouri State Representative Raychel Proudie, presented each elder with an official Missouri House Resolution honoring them and DSLUE for our strength, resilience, and ongoing contributions to justice and memory. The event brought together a powerful cross-section of our community: leaders from the NAACP, the St. Louis Urban League, over 60 local descendants, SLU student volunteers, university leaders, and historians—all in one space, united in remembrance and solidarity.
Both of these engagements offered something we don’t see enough: descendants being honored in public spaces, not just as victims of history, but as stewards of legacy and reclaiming narratives and truth-telling. These moments made space for newcomers to not only learn—but to feel. And that’s where real transformation begins.
Despite the recent setback, what would a truly “cooperative and transparent working relationship” with Saint Louis University look like in your view, and what are the steps the university needs to take to rebuild trust and move towards reconciliation?
A truly cooperative and transparent relationship begins with a clear institutional mandate—from the highest level of university leadership—that this work is not peripheral, but a strategic and moral priority. Rebuilding trust means moving beyond symbolic gestures to real structural commitments. That starts with resourcing this work appropriately: dedicating funding, staffing, and long-term support. It also means selecting faculty and administrators who have the academic background and cultural competency to engage in this work with integrity. This sacred work—emotional, historical, and institutional—cannot be approached as a temporary project. It requires care, continuity, and collaboration.
For years, I’ve immersed myself in the national reparatory justice ecosystem. I’ve sat on panels, built relationships with scholars, and brought forward respected experts, historians, and descendant leaders who have done some of this work at other institutions. I’ve tried to bring those resources and voices to Saint Louis University. Moving forward, they will have to embrace true parity when making decisions.
We are set to re-engage with the University this summer and are looking forward to it. Suppose SLU is truly serious about rebuilding trust. In that case, it must listen to descendants, act on our recommendations, and commit to ongoing shared governance, where descendants are not sidelined but are respected co-creators of the process. Transparency, funding, and deep collaboration with experienced experts aren’t optional—they’re the foundation.
DSLUE’s mission emphasizes that “remembrance demands more than words but requires action that acknowledges and remedies past injustices.” Can you explain the core tenets of the remedies plan you submitted to Saint Louis University and what you believe constitutes a meaningful restorative change?
At the heart of DSLUE’s mission is the conviction that remembrance without action is hollow. True restorative change must go beyond apologies or symbolic gestures—it must repair the structural and generational harm caused by enslavement. Our 10-Point Remedies Plan, submitted to Saint Louis University, outlines a comprehensive, descendant-led roadmap for repair rooted in justice, equity, and accountability. The core tenets include atonement, beginning with a formal apology from SLU, not as closure, but as the beginning of a sustained commitment to amends. We call for university-wide initiatives that integrate the full history of Jesuit enslavement into curriculum, governance, and institutional practice. This includes establishing a historical preservation and cultural education center, erecting permanent monuments and markers (SLU has committed to commissioning a permanent monument, annually honoring our ancestors, and offering full scholarships to all DSLUE descendants—including tuition, housing, and support services.
However, repair must also address the economic deprivation endured across generations. Our plan demands direct cash payments through a descendant-exclusive endowment, as well as entrepreneurial and workforce development, partnerships in real estate and small business opportunities, and access to SLU’s innovation ecosystem. We also call for collaborative fundraising and relationship-building initiatives that foster trust and shared governance. Meaningful restorative change recognizes that the harm was intergenerational and multidimensional—and so must be the remedy. It’s not about charity; it’s about moral and righteous justice. The DSLUE Remedies Plan is our blueprint to ensure our ancestors’ forced labor and stolen futures are no longer erased, but acknowledged, honored, and the ongoing harms repaired in perpetuity.
What motivates you personally to pursue historical justice and reparations, and what are your hopes for the future of DSLUE’s efforts? Will there be future projects this year that will spread awareness of historical injustices from a new perspective?
What motivates me to pursue historical justice and reparations is knowing this is sacred work. I can’t imagine what it was like for our ancestors. It blows my mind. They deserved to be honored. We would not be here if not for our ancestors. I have a deep, spiritual connection to my ancestors, and I love my people. I see and have a clear understanding of what happened to us, how it is affecting us today, and what liberation looks like. But I don’t speak only for my own family. I understand this is also for the millions of Black Americans who may never learn what happened to their ancestors—those who were stripped of names, stories, and resting places. We have a responsibility to tell these stories. They were not forgotten. They were not lost souls. They were God’s children. We are the heart of this nation, to be honest. And this nation will never truly heal until those wrongs have been righted.
In September, DSLUE will host a landmark Descendants and Scholars Summit—bringing together descendants, students, historians, and reparations experts to examine university responses to slavery and why systemic repair is urgently needed in today’s climate of rollback. That same month, I will also be presenting at the Missouri Historical Society, helping further spread awareness of historical injustices from a new lens. Every effort is about reclaiming truth, restoring honor, and ensuring that our ancestors’ labor and humanity are never again denied. My hope for DSLUE’s work is that we continue to transform silence into remembrance, remembrance into action, and action into structural change. We are not just confronting history—we are reshaping the future.
This year, we are building on that mission with projects that bring new perspectives to light. I’m honored to serve as a co-panelist for the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Community Curation session, “People and History, Land and Rivers,” at the Association of African American Museums (AAAM) conference this July in Charleston. We will explore how to preserve and interpret the stories of St. Louis and East St. Louis in ways that center Black lived experiences.
According to civil rights attorney and lead counsel for DSLUE, Areva Martin, Esq, who said, “As an attorney who has been involved in supporting organizations through similar efforts, I know the process can be long and difficult, but an outcome beneficial to all remains possible,” and continues “We have faith that we can continue to move forward toward an outcome that will repair the harm done if the university can return to a cooperative and transparent working relationship with us.” DSLUE will continue to fight for restorative change. To learn about their community engagements and how to donate, visit https://dslue.org/.
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