Harvard College has agreed to switch possession of two of the earliest identified images of enslaved African People to the Worldwide African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina.
This resolution concludes a 15-year dispute initiated by Tamara Lanier, who says she is the great-great-great-granddaughter of one of many topics depicted within the photos.
The images, relationship again to 1850, painting Renty Taylor and his daughter, Delia, each enslaved in South Carolina. Commissioned by Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz, the photographs had been meant to help racist pseudoscientific theories. For years, they had been housed at Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.
Lanier’s journey started in 2011 when she wrote a letter to then-College President Drew G. Faust requesting to be taught extra concerning the slave daguerreotypes and the way they might be used. The criticism says that Faust replied that the Peabody Museum was “concerned in tasks relating to these daguerreotypes” and that Peabody staff “have agreed to be in contact with you in the event that they uncover any new info.”
Nonetheless, Lanier stated the college by no means contacted her about ongoing tasks, new info or curiosity in verifying her lineage and connection to the daguerreotypes, in line with the criticism.
In 2019, Lanier filed a lawsuit in opposition to Harvard and the museum, alleging the college had wrongfully seized and profited from the photographs with out the consent of Renty and Delia. She contended that Harvard’s use of the images, together with licensing them for publication, constituted exploitation. Though a Massachusetts choose initially dismissed the case, the state’s highest court docket revived it in 2022, permitting Lanier to proceed on claims that Harvard precipitated her emotional hurt in its interactions along with her.
Harvard, in concluding its authorized dispute with Tamara Lanier, issued an announcement to EBONY emphasizing its efforts to deal with the daguerreotypes of Renty and Delia Taylor responsibly and to put them in a significant institutional house. The college additionally acknowledged the complexities raised by Lanier’s claims:
“All through this course of, Harvard has been dedicated to stewarding the daguerreotypes in a accountable method and discovering an institutional house for them the place their historic significance is appreciated and contributes to a larger understanding of their place in our nation’s historical past. Whereas we’re grateful to Ms. Lanier for sparking essential conversations about these photos, her declare to possession of the daguerreotypes created a posh state of affairs, particularly as a result of Harvard has not been capable of affirm that Ms. Lanier is expounded to the people within the daguerreotypes.”
The settlement contains the switch of the daguerreotypes to the Worldwide African American Museum and an undisclosed monetary settlement. Lanier expressed that the end result is a major step towards rectifying historic injustices.
“As descendants of slaves, familial historical past and well-documented family tree are a luxurious that many Black People should not have,” Lanier stated. “Harvard performed a task within the darkest chapter in American historical past. It is a small step in the suitable path in the direction of absolutely acknowledging that historical past and dealing to rectify it.”
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represented Lanier all through the authorized battle, praised the end result as a milestone within the ongoing combat for accountability and historic justice.
“This historic settlement is a step ahead within the pursuit of justice and a recognition of the ache attributable to the darkish historical past of exploiting enslaved folks,” Crump stated in a assertion.
This case underscores ongoing debates concerning the possession and moral use of historic artifacts associated to slavery. Whereas authorized precedents typically favor establishments, the ethical implications of retaining and taking advantage of such objects proceed to be challenged.
Harvard’s resolution aligns with its broader efforts to handle its historic ties to slavery. In 2022, the college pledged $100 million to review and atone for its involvement in slavery and its legacy.
The college’s resolution to settle the case and switch the images comes at a time when Harvard is navigating a number of public challenges, together with political strain over its funding.
The administration has accused Harvard of fostering a liberal bias and failing to guard Jewish college students throughout campus protests associated to the Gaza battle. In response, President Trump has taken a number of punitive measures in opposition to the college.
These measures embrace canceling roughly $100 million in federal contracts and threatening to redirect as much as $3 billion in federal grants to commerce faculties. Moreover, the administration has tried to revoke Harvard’s means to enroll worldwide college students, citing considerations over nationwide safety and ideological indoctrination. Harvard has challenged these actions in court docket, arguing that they represent an unprecedented and retaliatory assault on tutorial freedom.