A Middlesex Superior Court judge on Tuesday dismissed Connecticut resident Tamara K. Lanierâs lawsuit against Harvard alleging that the University unlawfully possesses and profits from historic photos she says depict her enslaved ancestors.
Lanier plans to appeal the decision, she and one of her attorneys told The Crimson Wednesday.
Lanierâs suit, which she filed against the University in March 2019, centers on the daguerreotypes of two enslaved people named Renty and Delia, which scholars believe to be some of the oldest images of slaves. According to Lanier, they depict her great-great-great-grandfather Renty and his daughter Delia.
Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz commissioned the photos in the 19th century as part of a racist study to prove the biological superiority of white people. Lanier requested in the suit that Harvard turn the daguerreotypes over to her, relinquish any profit made through using, reproducing, or licensing the images, and pay her punitive damages
As Black students at the College remain scattered across the world amid the coronavirus pandemic, many Black cultural organizations are finding ways to adapt staples of their Black History Month programming to a virtual setting.
In a typical year, Black cultural organizations gather in House common space and classrooms across campus to honor Black History Month through a series of discussions, socials, movie screenings, and trivia nights.
Samantha C. W. O’Sullivan ’22, president of the Generational African American Students Association, said her organization will be hosting a discussion series called “For Tha Culture February” to analyze topics related to Black culture, such as politics, code-switching, representation in media, and self-love and relationships.