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Film Screening: Free Renty: Lanier v. Harvard

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Free Renty: Lanier v. Harvard follows the story of Tamara Lanier, an African American woman from Norwich, CT, suing Harvard University for the rights to early images of her great-great-great grandfather, an enslaved man named Renty. In 1850, the images were commissioned by a Harvard professor to “prove” the superiority of the white race. The images remain emblematic of America’s failure to acknowledge the cruelty of slavery, the racist science that supported it, and the white supremacy that continues to infect our society today. The film focuses on Lanier and tracks her lawsuit against Harvard, and features attorney Benjamin Crump, author Ta-Nehisi Coates and scholars Ariella Azoulay and Tina Campt. This is a precedent setting case with national attention and significant implications for institutions and descendants of enslaved people trying to determine “who owns the rights to the violence of the past” (Lanier).

After showing the film, there will be a Q&A with Tamara Lanier, moderated by Kevin Booker, Jr.

Preview the film: Free Renty | Film Clip (youtube.com).

Explore: FreeRentyFilm.com

FREE EVENT. No Registration Required.

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