Reckoning with History, Shaping Our Future
Information about the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative's 2024 Symposium
Day 1 Transportation Instructions
Parking
On-street and off-street parking is available. Visit this link for more information.
Public Transportation
Public Transportation: The MAAH is within walking distance of the MBTA Red Line and Green Line. Visit this link for more information.
Shuttle Bus Service
For those who requested information, please visit this link for the schedule.
Day 1 Livestream Link
For those who will be attending the symposium virtually, the event will be accessible through Zoom. You can join using the following link: Day 1 – Symposium Livestream. We suggest logging in a few minutes before the start of the event to ensure a smooth connection.
Day 1 Event Schedule
April 23, 2024 | 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
The Museum of African American History
Welcome
Sara Bleich: Vice Provost for Special Projects, Harvard University
Land Acknowledgment
Remarks from the Museum of African American History
Noelle Trent: President & CEO, Museum of African American History
Poetry Reading
Porsha Olayiwola: Writer, performer, educator, curator
Legacy of Resilience: Descendants Reflect on Ancestral Trauma and Triumph
Panelists: Bertha French, Vice President, Descendants of Enslaved Communities at UVA | Dennis Lloyd, Founder, Slave Legacy History Coalition | Michele Scott, Tribal Councilor, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Moderated by Brenda Tindal, Chief Campus Curator and Senior Adviser on Academic and Community Engagement, Harvard University.
Keynote: From Legacy to Liberation: A Conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones on Confronting the Legacy of Slavery
Keynote Speaker: Nikole Hannah-Jones, Journalist, Knight Chair of Race and Journalism, Howard University. Moderated by Kiersten Hash, Student, Harvard College, Class of 2025
Break
A Conversation with Sarah Elizabeth Lewis and Tracy K. Smith: Memorializing Through the Arts: Honoring Ancestral Legacies
Panelists: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Humanities and Associate Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University | Tracy K. Smith, Author, Professor of English and African American Studies and Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor, Harvard Radcliffe Institute
Closing Remarks
Roeshana Moore-Evans, Executive Director, Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative
Closing Reception
Day 2 Transportation Instructions
Parking
On-street parking is limited. For off-street parking, visit the following link for more information.
Public Transportation
The Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center is within walking distance of the MBTA Red Line. Visit the following link for more information.
Shuttle Bus Service
There will be no shuttle bus service.
Day 2 Livestream Link
For those who will be attending the symposium virtually, the event will be accessible through Zoom. You can join using the following link: Day 2 – Symposium Livestream. We suggest logging in a few minutes before the start of the event to ensure a smooth connection.
Day 2 Event Schedule
April 24, 2024 | 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center
Harvard Commons, 1st Floor
Welcome
Sara Bleich, Vice Provost for Special Projects, Harvard University
Land Acknowledgment
Opening Remarks
Alan Garber, Interim President, Harvard University
Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative Highlights
Sara Bleich, Vice Provost for Special Projects, Harvard University | Roeshana Moore-Evans, Executive Director, Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative
TED Talks: Power of Partnerships
Speakers: RuQuan Brown, Student, Harvard College, Class of 2024 | Shahara C. Jackson, Program Director, HBCU Strategic Initiatives, Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative | Kelli Mosteller, Executive Director, Harvard University Native American Program
Keynote: Solidarity in Action: The Power of Allyship and Partnerships in Black and Indigenous Reparative Justice
Keynote Speaker: Tara Houska, Environmental and Indigenous Rights Advocate and Founder, Giniw Collective. Moderated by Karen Medina-Perez, Student, Harvard Division of Continuing Education, Class of 2024, Harvard University Native American Program
Reception
OrigiNation Performance
Legacy in Action: Generational Activists Shaping Reparative Action
Panelists: George Greenidge, Founder and Director, Greatest MINDS | Carrie Mays, Member, Task Force on Reparations, City of Boston | Saskia VannJames, Co-Founder, Grow to Consume. Moderated by Michael Curry, President and CEO, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers
Closing Remarks
Roeshana Moore-Evans, Executive Director, Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative
Symposium 2024 Speakers
Picture and Video Consent
If you choose to participate in a discussion, you are presumed to consent to the use of your comments and your image in these recordings. Please be sure your panelists and performers have signed waivers as well. This will mostly affect your future ability to use the video. OGC can also assist with language for the speakers.
Any video should be captioned and you all should be in touch with the Accessibility Office about best practices.