History is certainly a worthy course of study. Harvard boasts numerous courses devoted to studying the world’s histories, and when it examines its own individual history, it is equally valuable as an academic effort, even if that story is a troubled one. A four-person research seminar taught this fall by history professor Sven Beckert revealed the unfortunate connections between slavery and prominent individuals in Harvard’s legacy. This investigation is a worthy endeavor to increase the awareness of the economic and personal ties to slavery at Harvard. Moreover, it is to the credit of professors and their students that historical surveys of this kind do not have to be institutionally instigated.
A top-down approach to such reviews of Harvard’s dusty history is not the ideal way to conduct inquiry into the University’s past. The mandate for such forms of research and study should not derive from higher powers, such as the President’s office. Although President Drew G. Faust is surely an educated voice on the subject of slavery entrenched within America’s history, the exploration of Harvard’s links to slavery in the past should be an inquiry that is not pushed by an institutional mandate. It should be kept in mind that Harvard as an institution was not slaveholding, but that individuals connected to Harvard were. Harvard should not force or even pay researchers to launch a University investigation, because this is not an instance of institutional redress.
Yet this type of investigation by students and their professors is laudable for its “bottom-up” approach. Beckert said, “We do have a responsibility to be examining our history completely. If there are parts that are less favorable, so be it.” He said that the students wrote terrific research papers and that he would teach the class again because there is even more to find. Then, he said, it would call for a response from University leadership, as having support would accelerate further analysis.
Knowledge of the roots of this institution and the legacies that thread throughout its history can only be valuable to have. It is commendable that individuals have taken an interest in this sort of research, and we hope it continues on a self-motivated track. It says even more that these forays into the depths of history come from genuinely curious students, professors and their classes, rather than being mandated by University administration.
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Professors on Committee Examining Slavery Plan Conference“We need to engage this, not just to be better historians,” Beckert said of Harvard's ties to slavery. “We need to acknowledge this history as a way to be able to move forward.”
