Harvard Relinquishes Ownership of Historic Slave Photographs

Harvard University has agreed to relinquish ownership of photos taken in 1850 of an enslaved father and daughter, as part of a lawsuit settlement with their descendant. This legal resolution marks a significant turn in addressing Harvard's historical involvement in slavery-related wrongs.

Instead of the photos going to Tamara Lanier, who pursued the lawsuit, they will be entrusted to the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. Lanier described the settlement as a crucial step towards acknowledging and rectifying the dark chapters of American history tied to slavery.

The court case raised broader issues, including a Massachusetts judge's decision to revive the lawsuit in 2022 after it was initially dismissed. The ruling found Harvard negligent and emotionally distressful in its handling of the pictures, taken under coercion for a racist study by a Harvard professor.

(With inputs from agencies.)