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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.

The full report

Harvard's Entanglements with Slavery
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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

Larry Bacow in Michigan
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

Charles Hamilton Houston
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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:

On iOS

On Google Play

On web browser