Harvard commits $100M to redress its complicity with slavery
CNNApr 26, 2022
On Tues., Harvard pres. Lawrence Bacow announced that the university will set aside $100M for an endowment fund and other measures in recognition of the institution's historic ties to slavery.
Bacow referenced a 100-pg report by a 14-member committee titled "Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery" that details the university's affiliation with slavery and outlines recommendations for reconciliation.
This is an important step in remedying the long-lasting effects of slavery and systemic racism in the US. The university directly profited from the slave trade, and it's only fair to correct that wrong. Hopefully, other universities will follow suit.
Harvard's report unnecessarily slanders and distorts the university's true history. While certain members of Harvard profited off of the slave trade, the report purposefully downplays hundreds of Harvard students who heroically fought to end slavery in the civil war.