Vincentians and Slavery

St. Mary's of the Barrens, letterhead engraving, about 1885. ©2023 Vincentian Persons

DePaul University is partnering with the Congregation of the Mission Western Province to study the historical relationship between the Vincentians and slavery, and the unjust legacies of that relationship which impacted the DePaul campus and community. To provide leadership in this work as it relates to our commitment to antiracism and equity, the Office of the President commissioned a Task Force to Address the Vincentians' Relationship to Slavery in 2021. Comprised of faculty, staff, and students representing a range of DePaul stakeholders in this work, the task force is engaged in documenting the history, curating educational resources, renaming campus spaces in honor of the enslaved persons, raising public awareness, and partnering in further Black equity initiatives underway at DePaul.

To learn more about this project, read the announcement about the Task Force issued in Newsline, and contact vincentianslavery@depaul.edu.

Renaming of Campus Spaces

John T. Richardson Library Room 300: Formerly named after Bishop Joseph Rosati, the room is renamed after Aspasia LeCompte, enslaved by Bishop Rosati and other Catholic enslavers before winning her freedom in 1839.
Belden-Racine Hall: A student residence building on the Lincoln Park Campus, also renamed after Aspasia LeCompte.
Rosati House: The Vincentians’ residence nearby DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus, to be renamed by the Western Province of the Congregation of the Mission.
DeAndreis-Rosati Memorial Archives: The Western Province of the Congregation of the Mission’s collections held by the University Library, renamed The Vincentian Archives.

Black Equity Initiative

The goal of the Black Equity Initiative is to transform the experiences of Black students, faculty, and staff on campus through positive and successful outcomes that highlight, support, retain, and foster success.

View the Black Equity Initiative document

Task Force Members

Fr. Memo Campuzano, CM, Liaison
Adora Catherine Alava, Student Government Association
Veronica Appleton, College of Communication
Min. Jené Colvin, Division of Mission and Ministry
Dr. Euan Hague, Department of Geography and School of Public Service
Dr. Stephen Haymes, International Studies program
Dr. Valerie Johnson, Department of Political Science, Academic Affairs
Morgen MacIntosh Hodgetts, DePaul University Library
Dr. Julie E. Moody-Freeman, Center for Black Diaspora
Jamie Nelson, DePaul University Library
Dr. Don Opitz, School of Continuing and Professional Studies
Dr. Elizabeth Ortiz, Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity
Dr. Lori Pierce, Department of African and Black Diaspora Studies
Vicky Privert, Black Student Union
Dr. Margaret Storey, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Leyfane Thomas, School of Continuing and Professional Studies and Staff Council
Katie Brick, Division of Mission and Ministry
Shajuan Young, Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity

Contact Information

Questions? Email us at vincentianslavery@depaul.edu.