Enslavement and its Wake

A Walking Tour of Washington University

Washington University's entanglements with slavery and its legacies run deep. The story surrounds us, embedded in the built environment on and around campus.

Follow this map to go on a self-guided walking tour exploring WashU's ties to enslavement and its lasting impacts.

This walking tour of the Danforth Campus and its environs has 7 stops and takes approximately 45 minutes when followed as a round trip starting and ending at Olin Library.

Map of tour route

If you lose your place in this guide during the tour, click one of the links below to find the text for the nearest stop. Otherwise, keep scrolling down to follow the tour from the beginning.

To begin, exit the south doors of Olin Library and proceed to the statue of George Washington.

Note: To see your current location on the map, expand the map below and click the "Find my location" button represented as a circle in the corner of the map below the compass icon.

Credits

Created by Kelly L. Schmidt, Postdoctoral Research Associate for the WashU & Slavery Project, May 20, 2022.

Interpretive content written by Kelly L. Schmidt and Geoff Ward, Director of the WashU & Slavery Project.