Latest news with #Renty
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Black Americans being used as guinea pigs involved universities
In 1871, Henry D. Schmidt, a New Orleans doctor, 'gifted' the crania of 19 formerly enslaved African American and mixed-race individuals to Dr. Emil Ludwig Schmidt at the University of Leipzig to study the racist hypothesis that a person's morality or intelligence could be determined by crevices and bumps of their skull. A century and a half later, in a presumed act of higher consciousness, the German university no longer felt the need to house the ill-gotten skulls and, on Saturday, the remains of those 19 disregarded souls were given a proper burial in New Orleans. Saturday's event at Dillard University took place on the same week that Harvard University announced that it is relinquishing what are believed to be among the earliest photos of enslaved people in the United States. The 1850 images of a father and daughter known as Renty and Delia, who were photographed naked to the waist, were commissioned by Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz to support the theory of polygenism, the idea that human races evolved separately. Harvard would probably still be clutching those photos if Tamara Lanier, an author who says she's a descendant of the father and daughter pictured, hadn't fought a 15-year legal battle with the university. But the photos won't come to her. Renty and Delia's images will now be placed at the International African American Museum in South Carolina, the state where they were enslaved. As I sat through the three-hour service, which included a city acknowledgement by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, musical tributes and a riveting performance from Dillard University's Theatre Ensemble personifying the 19 human beings we were paying homage to, I couldn't help but think about the history of Black Americans being the guinea pigs for experimentation or examination or the subject of incomplete theories, under the guise of scientific advancement. Or the irony of racist individuals using 'inferior' Black specimens to interrogate complex ideas about human physiology, and still arriving at racist conclusions even with evidence in their possession that contradicts their hypotheses. We live in a moment where there is a persistent effort to erase all knowledge of these atrocities and pretend as if they were just figments of Black folks' imagination. But Eva Baham, who chaired the Cultural Repatriation Committee that brought the remains of the 19 New Orleanians home, said during Saturday's service that the purpose of studying history is 'to move forward. And when we keep our past hidden, we are starting over every day.' The memorial service for Adam Grant, Isaak Bell, Hiram Smith, William Pierson, Henry Williams, John Brown, Hiram Malone, William Roberts, Alice Brown, Prescilla Hatchet, Marie Louise, Mahala, Samuel Prince, John Tolman, Henry Allen, Moses Willis, Henry Anderson and two other unidentified souls was unlike any other I have witnessed. The decedents had transitioned over a century and a half ago; however, their departure from this realm could not have been considered peaceful before this weekend's ceremony. Roughly 200 community members filled the sanctuary of Dillard's Lawless Memorial Chapel to pay their respects to these ancestors who were so horribly disrespected after they died. 'It was emotionally draining because you're trying your best to make some connections and to search and find [that] there's hope,' Freddi Williams Evans, a member of the Cultural Repatriation Committee, told me. 'We could not verify any descendants. And so we have to step in and be their family.' Harvard is letting go not just of the photos of Renty and Delia, but also images of enslaved people known as Alfred, Delia, Drana, Fassena, Jack and Jem. Lanier, who says she's the great-great-great-granddaughter of 'Papa Renty,' said of the settlement with Harvard, 'This pilfered property, images taken without dignity or consent and used to promote a racist psychoscience will now be repatriated to a home where their stories can be told and their humanity can be restored.' As she spoke Wednesday she locked arms with Susanna Moore, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Agassiz, the Harvard biologist. Moore rightly called the work her forefather was doing with the photos 'a deeply racist project.' The combination of Harvard relinquishing its photos and Dillard receiving the remains of those wrongly shipped to a lab overseas means that even in 2025, we are still unpacking just how much dehumanization defined slavery and its aftermath in the United States. Dillard University President Monique Guillory told me it was important to honor the 19 in New Orleans because 'They walked the streets of New Orleans like we do.' Saturday's ceremony ended with African drumming and dancing, and then attendees were led out of the chapel by a jazz band and a traditional New Orleans second line en route to bury the remains of a tormented people, the right way. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
From the Files of Harvard, Heres How Real Slaves Looked 175 Years Ago
A picture is worth 1,000 words, and in the case of two enslaved African Americans, their portraits set off a historic chain of events and ended a 15-year battle over ownership. Renty and Delia were photographed in 1850, making their pictures the oldest believed of any enslaved American in history. Now, their stories are being told the right way. Harvard University finally settled a 15-year legal battle with Tamara Lanier, an educator who claimed the university was illegally in possession of delicate photos of her enslaved ancestors, according to BBC. Lanier is said to be the great-great-great granddaughter of 'Papa' Renty, so when she found out Harvard held the only photo of her ancestor, she had to take action. The two daguerreotypes– unique, early photos produced on a silver-coated copper plate– were taken in South Carolina, where Renty and his daughter Delia worked as slaves. But although the photos traveled a long way from South Carolina to Harvard University, it's Renty and Delia's faces that tell a more horrific account. Renty– an older man with a short, grey afro and facial hair– stands tall in his portrait. He's shirtless, emphasizing his bony yet chiseled torso, likely from malnutrition and harsh labor conditions he endured. His face? Stoic, without emotions. But his eyes almost look glossy, like he's in pain and seen way too much in his short lifetime. Delia has her father's eyes. She's also shirtless, showing off her pronounced collarbone and broad shoulders. Despite her young age, Delia looks mature as she poses in a chair for the photo. The images were captured by a Harvard professor for a racist study, according to The Hill. In her complaint against Harvard, Lanier claimed her ancestors did not give their consent to the photoshoot, meaning Harvard's ownership of the photos was illegal. The portraits were rediscovered at the university in 1975, according to BBC. Lanier wanted Harvard to relinquish ownership of the photos. Now, she finally got her wish. 'I think it's one of one in American history, because of the combination of unlikely features: to have a case that dates back 175 years, to win control over images dating back that long of enslaved people — that's never happened before,' attorney Joshua Koskoff told AP News. The public can finally view Renty and Delia's portraits. They will be transferred to the International African American Museum in South Carolina, the state where Renty and Delia called home. 'This is a moment in history where the sons and daughters of stolen ancestors can stand with pride and rightfully proclaim a victory for reparations,' Lanier told AP News. 'This pilfered property, images taken without dignity or consent and used to promote a racist pseudoscience will now be repatriated to a home where their stories can be told and their humanity can be restored.'
USA Today
29-05-2025
- General
- USA Today
Harvard will send early photos of enslaved people to a Black museum in Charleston
Harvard will send early photos of enslaved people to a Black museum in Charleston Harvard University will transfer photos of enslaved people to a S.C. museum after legal challenges from a woman who believes she is a descendant Show Caption Hide Caption Museum in Charleston showcases Black history and experiences The International African American Museum president and CEO Tonya Matthews talk about the museum's role in showcasing Black history and experiences. After years of legal challenges, photos of an enslaved man and his daughter held at a Harvard University museum will be transferred to an African American museum in South Carolina where the family is believed to have lived. The nude photos of Renty and his daughter, Delia, taken in March 1850 against their will for a Harvard University professor, were the subject of a 2019 lawsuit filed by Tamara Lanier against Harvard. The photos commissioned by Louis Agassiz, a 19th-century Harvard biologist, are believed to be the earliest photos of American slaves. The images, known as daguerreotypes and taken in a South Carolina studio, were used to promote racist beliefs. Lanier of Connecticut has complained that Harvard has profited over the years off of the photos. "Harvard played a role in the darkest chapter in American history,'' she said in a statement. "This is a small step in the right direction towards fully acknowledging that history and working to rectify it.' Lanier, who believes she is a descendant of Renty, has said her extensive research proved what her mother had told her for years about the family connection. But she said Harvard wouldn't acknowledge that. "I've talked to people all over the state, all over the country, all over the world, and everybody is just seemingly astonished at this discovery," Lanier told USA TODAY in 2019. "Everybody but Harvard." The pictures were held at Harvard's Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology Harvard officials said the university has not been able to confirm that Lanier is related to the individuals in the daguerreotypes. Still, officials said, they are grateful to Lanier for 'sparking important conversations about these images.'' The university has looked to place the daguerreotypes with another museum or other public institution to put them in the appropriate context and increase access to them, said James Chisholm, director of media relations for Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences. 'Now that this lawsuit has been resolved, Harvard can move forward towards that goal," he said in a statement. 'Throughout this process, Harvard has been committed to stewarding the daguerreotypes in a responsible manner and finding an institutional home for them where their historical significance is appreciated and contributes to a greater understanding of their place in our nation's history." In 2022, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that Lanier could sue for emotional distress, but that she could not claim ownership of the photos. Chisholm said because of the court ruling, the university is responsible for transferring the daguerreotypes. It is not clear yet when they will be transferred. The photos will be transferred to the International African American Museum in Charleston. The two-year-old museum houses artifacts of slavery and features the history enslaved Africans in the state. Tonya Matthews, president and CEO of the museum, said the images' return to South Carolina has been '175 years in the making.' She said the museum will host a welcome home ceremony for the artifacts. 'It is critical that images such as these never be forgotten, abused, or have their stories slip into untold history," she said in a statement. 'It is a weighty privilege to become home to these challenging, but precious artifacts. " Harvard has acknowledged its past history of supporting slavery in the United States and Caribbean islands. Some buildings on campus were funded by slave owners, according to a 2022 report published by the university. The Peabody Museum also has some remains of enslaved Africans and Native Americans. Contributed: Joey Garrison
Toronto Star
29-05-2025
- General
- Toronto Star
Harvard agrees to relinquish early photos of enslaved people, ending a legal battle
BOSTON (AP) — Harvard University will relinquish 175-year-old photographs believed to be the earliest taken of enslaved people to a South Carolina museum devoted to African American history as part of a settlement with a woman who says she is one of the subjects' descendants. The photos of the subjects identified by Tamara Lanier as her great-great-great-grandfather Renty, whom she calls 'Papa Renty,' and his daughter Delia will be transferred from the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology to the International African American Museum in South Carolina, the state where they were enslaved in 1850 when the photos were taken, a lawyer for Lanier said Wednesday.
Time of India
29-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Harvard settles lawsuit over enslaved ancestor images
Harvard University (File photo) NEW YORK: Harvard University has agreed to settle a deeply emotional dispute over who has the rights to images of enslaved Africans taken in 1850 by a professor who sought to support a racist theory. The daguerrotypes, a precursor to modern photographs, are considered to be the earliest known images of Black American slaves, who were posed nude and semi-nude "without consent, dignity or compensation," a 2019 lawsuit stated. The Cambridge institution has agreed to relinquish the images and has offered plaintiff Tamara Lanier a confidential monetary settlement. Lanier says she is a descendant of a slave known only by his first name, Renty, who was photographed nude, and his daughter Delia, who was photographed nude from the waist up, in images commissioned by Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz as supposed evidence of Black inferiority. The images were taken in South Carolina, and Lanier is advocating for them to be transferred to the International African American Museum there. Lanier accused the university of using them for advertising and commercial purposes, and denounced the use of Renty's image on a cover of a $40 anthropology book it published in 2017. "Since Black Americans were first brought to this country in chains, our pain and trauma have been exploited for capitalistic gain," said Lanier. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like IIMK Strategic Management IIMK ASMP Apply Now Undo Lanier claimed rights to the images 15 years ago, but Harvard has long-disputed the claim that she is Renty's great-great-great-granddaughter. "As descendants of slaves, familial history and well-documented genealogy are a luxury that many Black Americans do not have," Lanier said, who relied on her family's oral history to determine the connection in lineage. In a statement on the settlement, Harvard said they have "long been eager" to steward "the daguerrotypes in a responsible manner." In his time Agassiz, a Swiss-born biologist, was a renowned scientist who worked in geology. But Lanier's attorney Ben Crump said Agassiz also supported polygenism, which was "used to justify both the ongoing enslavement of Black people prior to the Civil War and their segregation afterward." The daguerrotypes were in the possession of Harvard's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology to date. "Harvard played a role in the darkest chapter in American history," Lanier said. "This is a small step in the right direction towards fully acknowledging that history and working to rectify it." The stain of Agassiz's work has been controversial elsewhere, too. He had an elementary school named after him near Harvard -- but local residents successfully demanded the name be changed to honor a long-serving Black principal Maria Louise Baldwin in 2002, citing his scientific racism.
