With the ambition of “fixing” its slavery in the past in 17at at 18at century, the American university Harvard, one of the most prestigious on the planet, announced on Tuesday the creation of a 100 million dollar fund.
The fund in question will make it possible to fund research, education and memory work on racism and slavery of 17at at 19at century in the United States.
The announcement – made by a letter from university president Lawrence Bacow to students, faculty and employees of the institution founded in 1636 in Cambridge, Massachusetts – was part of a broader academic movement in recent years. of recognition and payment for slavery in the United States, officially abolished by 13at amendment to the Constitution in December 1865.
Mr. Bacow acknowledges that Slavery and its legacy have been part of American history for over 400 years. Repairing its remaining effects will require our long and ambitious efforts for the next few years..
At Harvard in particular, at 17at at 18at For centuries, many members and presidents directly enslaved more than 70 people – African Americans and Native Americans – until it was declared illegal in Massachusetts in 1783.
Harvard benefited and somehow perpetuated practices that were highly immoral, confession of the president of the institution. He already recognizes his university have a moral responsibility to address the continuing devastating effects of these historical practices on individuals, at Harvard and on society [américaine].
Fix it financially the faults of slavery
This decision follows a report from a university committee that makes recommendations on how fix financial exploitation of tens of generations of millions of people forcibly deported from Africa and Europe to America.
In a country still plagued by racism and shaken by movements like Black Lives are importantthe Harvard report points out that up to the 20that century, university presidents and professors have taught and promoted race theories such as eugenics.
Harvard was not the first institution to make changes to slavery. In 2021, the conference of Jesuit priests in America also promised to raise $ 100 million in compensation for the descendants of the slaves it exploited.
In 2016, the Jesuit University of Georgetown, founded in Washington in 1789, apologized for the sale of 272 slaves in 1838, offering as compensation to facilitate the entry of their descendants. A renovation fund was approved in 2019 by the students.
Brown and Columbia universities also admitted to participating in the slave trade.
Source: Radio-Canada