Our Legacy
Our Legacy
April 26, 2022, Harvard President Larry Bacow released the Report of the Committee on Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery, which documented the University’s ties to slavery—direct, financial, and intellectual—and offered seven recommendations that will guide the work of reckoning and repair now in progress.
A Visual Introduction to Harvard’s Entanglements with Slavery
A short film created by the Radcliffe Institute to provide an accessible entry point to the more detailed history presented in the Legacy of Slavery at Harvard report and a brief historical foundation for the critical work that lies ahead.
The work of further redressing slavery's persistent effects will require our sustained and ambitious efforts for years to come."
Harvard President Larry Bacow, in his message to the community
We cannot understand the contemporary injustice we face unless we reckon honestly with our history."
Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Dean of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute and Chair of the Presidential Committee on Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery
From the report
Recommendations
“The damage caused by Harvard’s entanglements with slavery and its legacies warrant action—efforts to remedy the persistent educational and social harms that human bondage caused to descendants, to the campus community, and to surrounding cities, the Commonwealth, and the nation. Such action cannot possibly address the many complex and damaging legacies of slavery in and beyond the United States, but nonetheless, action is vital. Harvard should take responsibility for its past, and it should leverage its strengths in the pursuit of meaningful repair.”
Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery tour experience
The Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Tour Experience explores Harvard University’s entanglements with the institution of slavery through a 10-stop tour in Cambridge, MA.
The stops on the tour reexamine familiar campus terrain, providing an opportunity to learn about a part of Harvard’s history that has long been hidden in plain sight. In addition, the tour elevates stories of Black women and men whose resistance and leadership have shaped the University—and our nation. The app also offers an opportunity to reflect on the history presented through a selection of curated art.
Available for download: