Harvard’s institutional response refused to retell Agassiz’s racial-science story

Evidence

This was a moment for Drew Faust, the first female president of Harvard University, to stand on principle, to live up to its motto: Veritas. To tell the truth. Instead, her response felt disconnected from the humanity of my request. That upset me the most: regardless of my personal connection to the subjects of these photos, Harvard did not seem interested in rewriting the story, that Louis Agassiz was a renowned scientist who used Renty and Delia to prove white supremacy, and Black inferiority. — Tamara Lanier, From These Roots, 297

Categorization

• XREF: Drew Faust’s polite non-response echoes the institutional-hesitance patterns used in official denial letters; connects to how archives and universities answer descendant claims.