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W & M hopes to make amends for slavery through research project

The College of William and Mary is hoping to make amends for its role in slavery by creating a long-term research project to chronicle the life and history of blacks at the university and greater Williamsburg.

The academic affairs committee of the university's Board of Visitors approved the "The Lemon Project: A Journey of Reconciliation," which will be an eight-year project sponsored by the Office of the Provost.

Named for a slave that William and Mary owned during the 18th and 19th centuries, the Lemon Project will allow faculty, staff, students and members of the greater Williamsburg area to better understand, chronicle and preserve the history of blacks at the university, said Provost P. Geoffrey Feiss.

"In my personal opinion, an apology from a university doesn't mean much — I can apologize, but I wasn't here," Feiss said. "I think the university committing to studying a group of people and their impact on the community means so much more."
Read entire article at http://www.dailypress.com