The Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative's 2024 Symposium
April 23, 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and April 24, 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Chattel slavery in the United States ended 150 years ago, and yet its legacy reverberates today in harmful practices and beliefs that are still being perpetuated and continue to impact descendant communities in various ways – from education to healthcare to the economy and our criminal justice system.
We invite you to participate in the inaugural two-day symposium of the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery (H&LS) initiative, Reckoning with History, Shaping Our Future. This symposium will feature powerful dialogues and performances that aim to educate and inspire our community to learn from our past and shape a better future.
Registration closed on April 15, 2024.
We invite you to participate in the inaugural two-day symposium of the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery (H&LS) initiative, Reckoning with History, Shaping Our Future. This symposium will feature powerful dialogues and performances that aim to educate and inspire our community to learn from our past and shape a better future.
Registration closed on April 15, 2024.
Location
April 23:
Museum of African American History
46 Joy Street, Boston, MA, 02114
April 24:
Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center
1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138
April 23 Schedule
4:00 PM
Welcome
Sara Bleich - Vice Provost for Special Projects, Harvard University
4:10 PM
Land Acknowledgment
4:15 PM
Remarks from the Museum of African American History
Noelle Trent - President & CEO, Museum of African American History
4:20 PM
Poetry Reading
Porsha Olayiwola - Writer. Performer. Educator. Curator
4:30 PM
Panel
Legacy of Resilience: Descendants Reflect on Ancestral Trauma and Triumph
Legacy of Resilience: Descendants Reflect on Ancestral Trauma and Triumph
Panelists
Bertha French - Vice President, Descendants of Enslaved Communities at UVA
Dennis Lloyd - Founder, Slave Legacy History Coalition
Michele Scott - Tribal Councilor, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Moderator
Brenda Tindal - Chief Campus Curator and Senior Adviser on Academic and Community Engagement, Harvard University
Bertha French - Vice President, Descendants of Enslaved Communities at UVA
Dennis Lloyd - Founder, Slave Legacy History Coalition
Michele Scott - Tribal Councilor, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Moderator
Brenda Tindal - Chief Campus Curator and Senior Adviser on Academic and Community Engagement, Harvard University
5:30 PM
Keynote
From Legacy to Liberation: A Conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones on Confronting the Legacy of Slavery
From Legacy to Liberation: A Conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones on Confronting the Legacy of Slavery
Keynote Speaker:
Nikole Hannah-Jones - Journalist, Knight Chair of Race and Journalism, Howard University
Moderator
Kiersten Hash - Student, Harvard College, Class of 2025
Nikole Hannah-Jones - Journalist, Knight Chair of Race and Journalism, Howard University
Moderator
Kiersten Hash - Student, Harvard College, Class of 2025
6:30 PM
Break
6:40 PM
Panel
A Conversation with Sarah Elizabeth Lewis and Tracy K. Smith: Memorializing Through the Arts: Honoring Ancestral Legacies
A Conversation with Sarah Elizabeth Lewis and Tracy K. Smith: Memorializing Through the Arts: Honoring Ancestral Legacies
Panelists
Sarah Elizabeth Lewis - John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Humanities and Associate Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University
Tracy K. Smith - Author, Professor of English and African American Studies and Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor, Harvard Radcliffe Institute
Sarah Elizabeth Lewis - John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Humanities and Associate Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University
Tracy K. Smith - Author, Professor of English and African American Studies and Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor, Harvard Radcliffe Institute
7:40 PM
Closing Remarks
Roeshana Moore-Evans - Executive Director, Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative
8:00 PM
Closing Reception
April 24 Schedule
4:00 pM
Welcome
Sara Bleich - Vice Provost for Special Projects, Harvard University
4:05 pM
Land Acknowledgment
4:10 pM
Opening Remarks
Alan Garber - Interim President, Harvard University
4:20 pM
Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative Highlights
Roeshana Moore-Evans, Executive Director, Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative
Sara Bleich, Vice Provost of Special Projects, Harvard University
Sara Bleich, Vice Provost of Special Projects, Harvard University
4:30 pM
TED Talks: Power of Partnerships
Speakers
RuQuan Brown - Student, Harvard College, Class of 2024
Shahara C. Jackson - Program Director, HBCU Strategic Initiatives, Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative
Kelli Mosteller - Executive Director, Harvard University Native American Program
RuQuan Brown - Student, Harvard College, Class of 2024
Shahara C. Jackson - Program Director, HBCU Strategic Initiatives, Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative
Kelli Mosteller - Executive Director, Harvard University Native American Program
5:10 pM
Keynote
Solidarity in Action: The Power of Allyship and Partnerships in Black and Indigenous Reparative Justice
Solidarity in Action: The Power of Allyship and Partnerships in Black and Indigenous Reparative Justice
Keynote Speaker
Tara Houska - Environmental and Indigenous Rights Advocate and Founder, Giniw Collective
Moderator
Karen Medina-Perez - Student, Harvard Division of Continuing Education, Class of 2024, Harvard University Native American Program
Tara Houska - Environmental and Indigenous Rights Advocate and Founder, Giniw Collective
Moderator
Karen Medina-Perez - Student, Harvard Division of Continuing Education, Class of 2024, Harvard University Native American Program
6:10 pM
Reception
7:15 pM
OrigiNation Performance
7:45 pM
Panel
Legacy in Action: Generational Activists Shaping Reparative Action
Legacy in Action: Generational Activists Shaping Reparative Action
Panelists
George Greenidge - Founder and Director, Greatest MINDS
Carrie Mays, Member - Task Force on Reparations, City of Boston
Saskia VannJames - Co-Founder, Grow to Consume
Moderator
Michael Curry - President and CEO, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers
George Greenidge - Founder and Director, Greatest MINDS
Carrie Mays, Member - Task Force on Reparations, City of Boston
Saskia VannJames - Co-Founder, Grow to Consume
Moderator
Michael Curry - President and CEO, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers
8:45 pM
Closing Remarks
Roeshana Moore-Evans - Executive Director, Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative
Join us on April 23 and 24, 2024
We look forward to being in community with you.