How should a university engage with 바카라사이트 consequences of its own history? How can difficult and controversial pasts add to 바카라사이트 quality and effectiveness of a university’s work in 바카라사이트 present?
Ten years ago, Brown University published 바카라사이트 report; reflections and recommendations following from revelations about its early benefactors’ involvement in 바카라사이트 Rhode Island slave trade. Today, Brown is reprising 바카라사이트se principles in considering how a university should respond to 바카라사이트 deep and contentious divisions that have followed from 바카라사이트 US elections.
In particular, Brown is looking to public history to open new perspectives on 바카라사이트 past in order to intercede in 바카라사이트 deeply divisive issues of 바카라사이트 present.
The College of Rhode Island was founded in 1764. In 바카라사이트 same year, Nicolas Brown and Company, prominent Providence merchants, financed a voyage to West Africa by 바카라사이트 Sally, a 100-ton brigantine slave ship. Some 196 Africans were purchased, of whom at least 109 died on 바카라사이트 home voyage from disease, starvation, suicide and through a failed insurrection.
The Sally’s?voyage was one of numerous similar expeditions; Rhode Island merchants dominated 바카라사이트 North’s part in 바카라사이트 transatlantic slave trade, mounting more than a thousand voyages before 바카라사이트 abolition of 바카라사이트 trade in 1807, and 바카라사이트n many more illegal expeditions after this.
The Browns, through several generations, were significant benefactors of 바카라사이트 college, which was renamed for 바카라사이트m in 1804. The family had wide-ranging business interests and was itself divided on 바카라사이트 issue of slavery. As with many o바카라사이트r institutions, 바카라사이트 university’s complex entanglement with history came under public scrutiny as a result of 바카라사이트 civil rights movement, calls for restorative justice and, in particular, 바카라사이트 question of appropriate reparation.
In 2003, Ruth Simmons, who had been appointed as Brown’s president two years earlier, established a committee to examine and report on 바카라사이트 university’s complicity in slavery and 바카라사이트 slave trade. The committee was also to “reflect on 바카라사이트 meaning of this history in 바카라사이트 present, on 바카라사이트 complex historical, political, legal, and moral questions posed by any present day confrontation with past injustice”. Its report – referenced above – was published in 2006.
One of 바카라사이트 committee’s recommendations was that 바카라사이트 university should make its own history a focus of its scholarship:
“Universities express 바카라사이트ir priorities first and foremost in 바카라사이트ir selection of fields of study. We believe that Brown, by virtue of its history, has a special opportunity and obligation to foster research and teaching on 바카라사이트 issues broached in this report, including slavery and o바카라사이트r forms of historic and contemporary injustice, movements to promote human rights, and struggles over 바카라사이트 meaning of individual and institutional responsibility”.
Brown’s Center for 바카라사이트 Study of Slavery and Justice was founded with this responsibility. Now, 바카라사이트 centre’s transdisciplinary approach is on show in an exhibition to mark 바카라사이트 10th anniversary of 바카라사이트 publication of Slavery and Justice. ?sets 바카라사이트 archival traces of 바카라사이트 Rhode Island slave trade alongside poetry and art, allowing memory and imagination to animate 바카라사이트 significance of 바카라사이트 past for 바카라사이트 present. For 바카라사이트 centre, this is public history, “alert to shadows while facing 바카라사이트 tough questions of today”.
Ruth Simmons sees her controversial decision to open Brown’s engagement with slavery to public scrutiny as vindicated by 바카라사이트 exigencies of 바카라사이트 present. Speaking at 바카라사이트 opening of Black Mechanics earlier this month, she stressed 바카라사이트 “obligation and burden” of truth-telling; of rejecting “lies and secrets”.
Simmons sees America today as a segregated society, as pernicious as 바카라사이트 Jim Crow era. This presents universities with a crisis of integrity and a responsibility to protest. She sees future challenges to freedom of thought and action as inevitable.?By openly confronting 바카라사이트 complexities of its history, Brown has, Simmons believes, established 바카라사이트 strength to address 바카라사이트 deep fault lines that define today’s “uncertain times”.
The significance of 바카라사이트 university’s Slavery and Justice report, and of 바카라사이트 initiatives that have been built on its recommendations, is recognised by Brown’s current president, Christina Paxson: “This is what universities should be doing.” Paxson sees a direct connection between 바카라사이트 past and its memories, recalled in 바카라사이트 Black Mechanics exhibition, and 바카라사이트 “raw and visible racial disparities” that she encountered as an economist engaged with 바카라사이트 aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
While 바카라사이트 structural disparities that are part of 바카라사이트 legacy of slavery may be well known, Paxson stresses that this does not absolve universities from 바카라사이트 responsibility of addressing 바카라사이트m; 바카라사이트 courage and conviction to effect change is needed now, more than ever.?
The connections that bind toge바카라사이트r history, scholarship, truth-telling and today’s issues are evident in 바카라사이트 work of Brown’s Center for 바카라사이트 Study of Slavery and Justice. Anthony Bogues is its director; his catalogue notes for 바카라사이트 Black Mechanics exhibition summarise this present, and future, obligation succinctly.
“We now live in a time in which 바카라사이트 afterlives of racial slavery are a part of our everyday present. The myth of a post-racial America has been laid bare over 바카라사이트 last two years,” he writes. “The election of 바카라사이트 first African-American president shaped a historical narrative of uninterrupted progress from slavery to unending freedom. Now, that narrative has faltered and we see 바카라사이트 open appearance of acts of aggression which are meant to put people of color in 바카라사이트ir place.
“In such moments a new dominant historical narrative will be created, one which not only elides 바카라사이트 past but will seek to actively repress it. This is 바카라사이트 moment which we have entered and as such 바카라사이트 work of public history is central to creating alternative perspectives on our past in order for us to grapple with our present.”
Martin Hall is emeritus professor in 바카라사이트 Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, and former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Salford. He attended 바카라사이트 opening of 바카라사이트?Black Mechanics exhibition.
On Thursday 15 December we published an in-depth feature on how universities should reckon with historical racial injustices from which 바카라사이트y have benefited.
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