Tamara Lanier’s Legal Battle Against Harvard to Reclaim Ownership of Historic “Renty” Slave Images
### The Fight to #FreeRenty: Tamara Lanier’s Pursuit for Justice and Reparative Truth
The question of who owns history—and whose stories are told—has taken center stage in Tamara Lanier’s powerful legal battle with Harvard University. At the heart of the issue lies a profound ethical debate surrounding consent, exploitation, and control over the representation of enslaved individuals in historical archives. Lanier’s tireless fight to reclaim the daguerreotypes of her great-great-great-grandfather Renty Taylor and his daughter Delia has captivated and challenged the cultural and academic institutions that curate historical knowledge for the world. This story resonates far beyond legal contestation; it embodies issues of reparative justice, decolonization, and the unyielding afterlife of slavery.
### A Legacy Preserved in Images—but Not by Consent
In the mid-19th century, Renty Taylor and his daughter Delia were forcibly photographed in their capacity as enslaved individuals on a South Carolina plantation. Taken at the behest of Harvard professor Louis Agassiz to bolster his pseudoscientific racist theories, these daguerreotypes are among the earliest photographic images of enslaved people in America. At the time, the photographs were created without consent, exploiting Renty and Delia’s identities for the purposes of dehumanizing propaganda under the guise of “scientific advancement.”
Today, these daguerreotypes are housed in Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Lanier contends that her ancestors’ photographs, removed from their original narrative and stripped of their humanity, have been commodified and legitimized under Harvard’s institutional authority. She asserts that these images belong to her family and calls for their rightful return, urging society to challenge the lingering exploitative legacies of slavery.
### A Turning Point: The Legal Battle to Reclaim Renty
Lanier’s legal and public quest to #FreeRenty has spurred international conversations about the ethics of ownership and representation of African American history. Her fight began years ago, culminating in a lawsuit that questions whether powerful institutions like Harvard have the moral or legal authority to retain possession of materials that were created under the conditions of slavery. The lawsuit goes further, raising awareness of the continuing exploitation of African Americans and their cultural heritage, much of which is still controlled by institutions that profited during slavery and segregation.
In her memoir, *From These Roots* (Crown, 2025), Lanier recounts her journey of resistance. This book is not merely a personal history but also a rallying cry for uncovering obscured narratives, dismantling institutional silences, and pursuing reparative justice for descendants of the enslaved. As Lanier has often expressed, the road to reconciliation begins with the recognition and decolonization of archives, where the wounds of history—hidden behind museum glass or stored in vaults—are often made invisible.
### The Broader Implications of #FreeRenty: Reparative Justice in Action
The fight to #FreeRenty is emblematic of broader societal reckonings about reparative justice and the historical accountability of museums and universities. Lanier’s struggle has drawn attention to the systemic inequalities embedded in institutional collections, where artifacts, documents, and even personal images related to enslaved individuals are presented within frameworks that obscure the violence of their origins. Questions of restitution, cultural ownership, and reparations are central to Lanier’s efforts to challenge these power dynamics.
“Who owns these images?” asks Lanier, signaling how the historical trauma of slavery continues to reverberate in contemporary legal and cultural debates. She views the daguerreotypes as a symbol of her ancestors’ dignity and humanity and considers their continued detention within an academic institution as a perpetuation of harm. This poignant struggle serves as a reminder that the legacies of slavery are not confined to the past—they persist in how institutions handle the documentation and artifacts of such historical injustices.
### A Platform for Education and Activism: Book Talk and Online Conversations
To further amplify her message, Lanier has partnered with organizations like *Hyperallergic* and the Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (ICA LA) for public discussions about her fight for narrative reclamation. These conversations are also part of broader efforts to educate the public about systemic inequities in cultural institutions. An upcoming virtual event co-hosted by *Hyperallergic* and ICA LA on February 12 will bring together Lanier, *Hyperallergic* Editor-in-Chief Hrag Vartanian, and notable scholars such as Jennifer Doyle and Jeanne Vaccaro to discuss Lanier’s memoir and the ongoing legal and cultural implications of her case.
The event promises to be a compelling exploration of the intersections of history, justice, and art, framed within discussions of reparations and decolonization. Activists, thinkers, and artists alike are coming together to address how these issues demand not only recognition but collective action.
### Toward a Repar