Harvard Relinquishes Slave Daguerreotypes After Legal Battle
Harvard University has relinquished ownership of 175-year-old daguerreotypes of enslaved individuals, Renty and Delia, to the International African American Museum in South Carolina. This settlement concludes a 15-year legal battle initiated by Tamara Lanier, a descendant, who argued for the repatriation of the images. The agreement marks a significant victory for descendants of enslaved people, representing an unprecedented legal precedent regarding the ownership and control of such historical artifacts. While the financial terms remain undisclosed, the photos will now be contextualized within a museum dedicated to African American history, allowing for a more complete and nuanced narrative of their ancestors’ lives.
John Q. Hosedrinker