Civil Rights Attorney Presents Daguerreotypes
Ben Crump will present historic Daguerreotypes of Papa Renty and daughter Delia to the International African American Museum leaders on March 11 [https://x.com/i/status/2031512736769741051].
The unveiling will occur at the International African American Museum (IAAM) in Charleston, South Carolina. The museum stands on Gadsden's Wharf, where almost half of enslaved Africans arrived in America. The IAAM aims to share the diverse stories, origins, and achievements of the African diaspora. Attorney Ben Crump is joining Tamara Lanier, Renty's descendant, for the unveiling. Lanier sued Harvard in 2019 for possessing and profiting from the daguerreotypes. The photos were commissioned by Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz in 1850 to promote racist pseudoscience. The daguerreotypes are believed to be among the earliest photos of enslaved people. Agassiz had Renty and Delia stripped and photographed to support his theories of racial inferiority. Lanier's lawsuit described Renty and Delia as research specimens to Agassiz. Harvard has relinquished the images as part of a settlement with Lanier. The settlement also included a confidential monetary component. The museum will work with Lanier on how to tell the story of the images. The return of the images to South Carolina is significant because that is where they were taken. Crump stated that this homecoming is about truth, dignity, and ensuring their descendants can tell their story. The museum has committed to holding these objects with dignity, empathy, truth, and respect.
