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Following the Report of the Presidential Committee on Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery, members of Harvard faculty took deliberate steps toward implementing Recommendation 2 to “Honor Enslaved People through Memorialization, Research, Curricula, and Knowledge Dissemination.” Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative has partnered with these faculty members to develop educational resources that engage all members of the Harvard community and beyond to learn about — and grapple with — the hard truths of the University’s ties to slavery.  

Whether someone is new to Harvard’s legacy of slavery work or has been a partner in uncovering these truths from the beginning, the resources below offer opportunities for both individuals and groups to learn, discuss, and begin processing what it means to start the journey of repair. 

Current resources

A Legacy of Leadership

The leadership, resistance, struggles, and triumphs of early Black alumni at Harvard University and Radcliffe College are a part of Harvard’s story. This is part of the legacy that today’s Harvard students also inherit. 

Learn more about early Black Harvard alumni

An Overview of the Initiative

Normative Case Studies

Normative case studies with facilitation guides are tools for faculty, staff, students, alumni, and others interested in the process of reckoning and repair, and how to discuss these issues in community

View and download the normative case studies and resources

The Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Film

The Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Film introduces the Report’s historical findings, while accompanying facilitation guides support discussion of the Film

View and download the Film and its facilitation guide

Our Tours

Participants engage with research, while exploring Harvard’s campus virtually or physically, making space for reflection, ritual, silence, slowing down, and honoring the past, present, and one another

Learn about the Guided Tour

Learn about the Self-Guided Tour

We Claim/Reclaim Space

The digital exhibit We Claim/Reclaim Space examines the lives, work, and legacies of early Black and abolitionist communities in Boston and Cambridge

Learn more about the We Claim/Reclaim digital exhibition

Learning about a topic like the legacy of slavery can be overwhelming. Community Care Resources are available for members of the Harvard community seeking support for mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being.