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Celebrating Juneteenth 2025
Amistad Research Center
Free to the public. Register here.

This Juneteenth genealogy presentation by Karran Harper Royal will highlight fathers who descend from some of the largest families enslaved by the Jesuit priests of Georgetown University. These families were listed for sale on June 19, 1849. The families were ripped apart when they were sold to two Louisiana sugar planters. 

A discussion will follow with Kenneth N. Royal and Alfred Green, fathers involved in genealogy, from the GU272 descendants. They will talk about the accomplishments and benevolence of the male descendants and share their stories. What can we learn about freedom from the interactions and discoveries of these fathers, grandfathers, sons, and grandsons?  

Karran Harper Royal is a genealogist and family historian. She is the president and co-founder of the Descendants of Jesuit Enslavement Historical and Genealogical Society and a producer of the award-winning documentary Finding Us. Harper Royal is the former executive director of the GU272 Descendants Association. She has co-hosted the livestream genealogy show “Nurturing Our Roots” on YouTube. She is married to Kenneth Royal, who descends from 10 direct ancestors who were enslaved by the Jesuits at Georgetown University.