Georgetown Employee Discovers University Sold His Enslaved Ancestor

A Georgetown University employee made a haunting discovery while tracing his roots: his great-great-great-grandmother was sold in 1838 to help the college pay off its debts.

Jeremy Alexander, 45, told The New York Times that he learned this information after he and his family had their DNA tested in 2014. Alexander’s results traced back to his great-grandmother Anna Jones, without going into her story.