Harvard's Long Overdue Move: Returning Slave Photos to South Carolina

Harvard University has decided to hand over old photos of enslaved people to a museum in South Carolina. These photos, taken 175 years ago, are believed to be the first of their kind. They show a man named Renty and his daughter Delia, who were enslaved in South Carolina in 1850. The photos are called daguerreotypes, which are like the first version of modern photos. They were taken by a Harvard scientist named Louis Agassiz. He wanted to use these photos to support his ideas about racial differences, which were used to justify slavery. Renty and Delia were made to pose without shirts and were photographed from different angles. This was a degrading and violent act, but Agassiz did not see it that way. A woman named Tamara Lanier says she is a descendant of Renty. She has been fighting for 15 years to get these photos back. She sued Harvard in 2019, saying the university had wrongly taken and used the photos. Lanier's lawyer, Joshua Koskoff, said this is a big win for descendants of enslaved people in the U. S. He praised Lanier's determination in seeking justice for her ancestors.

Harvard has agreed to give the photos to the International African American Museum in South Carolina. The museum's CEO, Tonya M. Matthews, called this a moment 175 years in the making. She praised Lanier's bravery and tenacity in getting the photos returned to South Carolina. The museum plans to work with Lanier to tell the full story of Renty and Delia. The photos will finally be displayed in a way that honors Renty and Delia's memory. This is a step towards acknowledging the past and moving forward. It is important to remember that these photos are not just historical artifacts, but a part of a family's history. They deserve to be treated with respect and care. In the end, this is about more than just photos. It is about acknowledging the past and the harm that was done. It is about giving descendants of enslaved people the chance to tell their own stories. It is about moving forward and learning from the past. This is a step in the right direction, but there is still much work to be done.

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