Wordz of Wilson by Chelle Luper Wilson
Controlling Imagery In 1850, a Harvard professor commissioned photographs for a study. The pictures, or daguerreotypes, as they were then known, were of Renty and Delia, father and daughter. The images were not meant to represent family life nor reflect the strength and beauty of African Americans at that time. The professor commissioned these pictures to support his racist argument that Black people were not only inferior but of an entirely different origin than whites. Renty and Delia were enslaved persons. Without the freedom to consent, Renty and Delia were stripped to their waists, positioned in both front and side views, and photographed. While now housed in a campus museum, the images of Renty and Delia have continuously been used in magazines, journals, and other publications. In a 2017 Harvard conference on the links between academia and slavery, Renty’s image was used on the program cover and projected onto a giant screen as the backdrop. Currently, Renty’s image is featured on the cover of a $40 anthropology book available at Harvard. One could argue that not only has Harvard maintained, but they have also profited from these images for nearly 170 years. myimessenger.com
I never thought in my lifetime, there would be serious debate around reparations and what those reparations might look like. Yet, here we are. From politicians to barber shop patrons, everyone has opinions on what 40 acres and a mule would look like today? University of Connecticut researcher, Thomas Craemer, estimates reparations could cost: between $5.9 trillion and $14.2 trillion. This calculation does not include intellectual property, images, nor the many bodies sacrificed to “medical research.” It’s based on Craemer’s valuation of enslaved labor and services provided in relation to America’s accumulation of wealth. Considering how the many contributions of African Americans have been minimized, erased, or stolen and credited to another, how do we also calculate the value of the nontangible? In keeping with the African tradition of oral storytelling, Tamara Lanier’s family, passed down from one generation to the next, a story about their ancestor who was taken from his home in the Congo and enslaved in South Carolina. He defied the law by teaching himself how to read and then teaching others. Lanier’s greatgreat-great grandfather was named Renty; she believes he is
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the same Renty from the Harvard photographs. Lanier has filed a lawsuit claiming wrongful seizure and possession, arguing that Harvard has been “shamefully” and illegally profiting from the images because Renty and Delia, as enslaved persons, were unable to give consent. The complaint also alleges failure of the university to recognize her as a direct descendant. Harvard has not yet commented on this complaint. In an interview with the New York Times, Lanier’s attorneys state she is seeking a jury trial and unspecified punitive and emotional damages. However, what she wants most is possession of and the rights to these ancestral photos. The refusal to relinquish control of these images to Lanier reeks of residue from a time when marriages by enslaved persons were not recognized; therefore, neither were their families. Renty and Delia have been subjected to bondage, physical and material, for going on two centuries. I hope they will be able to go home soon, so their souls can finally rest in peace. After all, nothing is more valuable than freedom. April 5, 2019