Harvard Announces $100 Million Plan to Make up for Slavery Links

Harvard Announces $100 Million Plan to Make up for Slavery Links

Harvard University recently offered details of its historical connection to slavery and announced a $100 million fund aimed at studying and dealing¹ with those links.

The findings were released on April 26 in a 130-page report. The university began publicly speaking about its connections to slavery in 2016. That year, the university placed a sign on its campus honoring four enslaved people who worked for two different Harvard presidents in the 1700s. Harvard's President Lawrence Bacow started the current investigation² into the university's links to slavery in 2019.

The group of investigators³ included professors who looked into the names and stories of people who worked for no pay. The committee found that the university and its leaders, including four of the school's presidents, enslaved people. The new report, the writers said, adds to work started in 2007 by Harvard professors and students to show the university's connection to slavery.

Harvard is the oldest university in the United States. It opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1636, when the area was still a colony of Britain. At the time, putting people to work for no pay was permitted. The report notes that slavery was common around the world and was an important part of the economy in the northeastern colonies, and "powerfully shaped Harvard University." For example, some people who gave money to Harvard in its early history became rich by buying and selling slaves.

The report's writers said Harvard is now part of the "long and growing list" of American universities "entangled⁵ with the history of slavery."

Years of slavery

Enslaved people worked at the university for almost 150 years, until slavery became illegal in Massachusetts in 1783. The school's report said at least 70 Black people and Native Americans were enslaved. That included people who worked on the university land and in the homes of the school's leaders.

In addition, the university, which is the richest in the U.S., gained wealth by investing in industries, such as cotton and sugar cane⁶, which used forced labor⁷. Those crops were grown by enslaved people in the American South and the Caribbean Islands. Many buildings at Harvard are named for people who owned other people.

The report notes that Harvard has profited from the idea that slavery in the United States was centered in the American South. In fact, the report says, the economy in the northeastern colonies "thrived" because of their connection to slavery and businesses that used forced labor.

Researchers said there were likely more than 70 enslaved people, but they only found 70 names. They added that some of the enslaved people were Native Americans. Many of the enslaved people were known only by their first names, which included: Cesar, Dinah, Delia, Renty and Venus.

Fund to heal wounds

Bacow announced the $100 million fund to deal with, what he called, the "corrosive⁸ effects of [slavery] on individuals, on Harvard, and on our society." The money will be used to make up for the mistreatment of the people who worked for the university but it will not be paid directly to the living family members of Harvard's slaves.

The report said the university should permit some students at historically Black colleges and universities to study at Harvard for one year at a time.

It also said the school should make education more available for the descendants of slaves in the southern U.S. and the Caribbean area. In addition, the writers said Harvard should offer educational programs to members of Native American tribes in the northeastern U.S.

"Disturbing" ideas

The report said that even after slavery became illegal, some of the university's professors taught racial theories about why white people were better than Black people. Some professors did studies on race that researchers have connected to policies of the leaders of Nazi⁹ Germany. The report called some of this work, which included photographing Black people without clothing and measuring their bodies, "abusive."

Bacow called the findings "disturbing and shocking" and said the ideas permitted deeply "immoral¹⁰" activities.

In more modern times, the report noted¹¹, the university was slow to make education and work available to Black people. Between the 1890s and 1940s, only about three Black men per year attended the university. By 1960, the number had only grown to nine in the first year class.

Making up for slavery

The report said the university should spend money to make up for the past but did not clearly say the school should give money to the descendants of the enslaved people who worked at Harvard. Payments to make up for bad treatment in the past are sometimes called reparations. Harvard instead said it will make up for its wrongs through "teaching, research and service."

Other universities are doing similar things.

At Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., the school is trying to raise $400,000 per year to give to the descendants of the enslaved people sold by the school. At Princeton University in New Jersey¹², the school of religion started a $27 million fund to make up for enslaving people. And the University of Virginia, founded by U.S. president Thomas Jefferson, created scholarships for the living family members of those it enslaved.

However, some critics say those universities should do more or that they are not following through on their promises. Now that Harvard has released its report, education leaders will want to see how the $100 million is spent and whether it makes a difference.

In the report, Bacow noted that Harvard is "far from perfect" but it always tries to "be better." The university president said Harvard is committed to following the recommendations and "embracing the challenges before us."

Words in This Story

fund – n. an amount of money that is set aside for a special purpose

entangle⁴ –v. to become involved in a confusing and difficult situation

thrive – v. to grow and develop successfully

corrosive– adj. causing someone or something to become weak and damaged

descendant – n. the children of a group of people who lived in the past

disturbing –adj. worrying or upsetting

immoral –adj. not morally good or right

embrace – v. to accept something

1 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 entangle   

vt.缠住，套住；卷入，连累

参考例句：

• How did Alice manage to entangle her hair so badly in the brambles?爱丽丝是怎么把头发死死地缠在荆棘上的？
• Don't entangle the fishing lines.不要让钓鱼线缠在一起。

5 entangled   

adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The bird had become entangled in the wire netting. 那只小鸟被铁丝网缠住了。
• Some military observers fear the US could get entangled in another war. 一些军事观察家担心美国会卷入另一场战争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 corrosive   

adj.腐蚀性的；有害的；恶毒的

参考例句：

• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。
• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。

9 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

10 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。