Almost a decade after the University began examining its own historical ties to slavery, President Ruth Simmons delivered the keynote speech at "Slavery and the University: Histories and Legacies," a conference hosted by Emory University, last night.
At the conference, which runs until Feb. 6, representatives from universities across the country will address the role slavery has played in the developments of their schools and how to come to terms with those aspects of their histories.
It is "somewhat distressing how unnecessary people thought it was for so many decades" to confront the role of slavery in the history of universities in the country, Simmons told The Herald. "It's all about demonstrating how important it is for the university," she said.
Simmons' speech is titled "From the Shadows to Plain Sight: Slavery and Justice at Brown University."
The conference builds on Brown's initiative to bring the history of the connection between slavery and U.S. universities to light. In 2003, Brown established the Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice to investigate the role of slavery in Brown's history. The committee — which included faculty members, administrators and students — published a report documenting Brown's ties to slavery.
The 106-page report, which received considerable media attention when it was released in 2006, asks, "How are we, as members of the Brown community, as Rhode Islanders and as citizens and residents of the United States, to make sense of our complex history?"
This question has recently been taken up by several other universities. Anne Valk, associate director for programs at the John Nicholas Brown Center, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that schools — such as the University of North Carolina, the University of Alabama and the College of William and Mary — have taken measures in recent years to come to terms with their historical connection to slavery through acts like public apologies and the creation of memorials.
Patrick Jamieson, a senior at Emory who will be presenting a paper at the conference, told The Herald that Emory's research into its past was inspired by the work of Brown's Steering Committee.
"There are some really important connections between the 18th-century slave trade and the wealth that came from that and the founding of Brown University," he said.
He compared Brown's history with Emory's, adding that the board of trustees at Emory issued a statement of regret Jan. 13 regarding the school's connection to slavery.
Upon completion of the Steering Committee's Report on Slavery and Justice, the committee issued a number of recommendations to help the University come to terms with its past. These included establishing a day and creating a memorial in remembrance and recognition of the slaves who were integral to Brown's history, putting together an institution for researching slavery and justice and doing more to bring black students to Brown.
Jamieson said one of the primary aims of the conference this weekend will be to come up with similar recommendations at Emory.
