Harvard has agreed to hand over 175-year-old photographs of an enslaved man and his daughter to a Black history museum in South Carolina as part of a settlement with the descendant of the photos’ subjects. The deal caps a 15-year legal battle between Harvard and Tamara Lanier, whose great-great-great-grandfather Renty is featured in the photos. Lanier celebrated the long-anticipated resolution, saying, “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.”
Harvard Relinquishes Photos of Enslaved People, Capping 15-Year Legal Struggle
HeadlineMay 29, 2025
Topics: