Slavery Memorial (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Dublin Core
Title
Slavery Memorial (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Subject
Subject (Topic)
Enslaved persons
Harvard Law School
Massachusetts--Cambridge
Slavery--Massachusetts
Subject (Object)
Commemorative sculpture
Enslaved persons
Harvard Law School
Massachusetts--Cambridge
Slavery--Massachusetts
Subject (Object)
Commemorative sculpture
Description
The Slavery Memorial at Harvard Law School consists of a large boulder with a bronze plaque inset into it. The plaque reads: “In honor of the enslaved whose labor created wealth that made possible the founding of Harvard Law School. May we pursue the highest ideals of law and justice in their memory.”
Creator
Harvard Law School
Source
Photograph: Vanessa Leroy for The New York Times
Date
September 5, 2017
Contributor
Harvard Law School: Martha Minow, John F. Manning, Annette Gordon-Reed, and Janet E. Halley
Rights
Harvard Law School, 1585 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
Format
JPEG
Language
English
Type
Visual Arts-Sculpture
Coverage
The Crossroads (plaza between Langden Hall and Caspersen Student Center), Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
Has Part
Bronze plaque affixed to boulder:
In honor of the enslaved whose labor created wealth that made possible the founding of Harvard Law School
May we pursue the highest ideals of law and justice in their memory
In honor of the enslaved whose labor created wealth that made possible the founding of Harvard Law School
May we pursue the highest ideals of law and justice in their memory
Medium
Stone; Bronze
Bibliographic Citation
Wright, Kim. “Harvard Law School Unveils Memorial Honoring Enslaved People Who Enabled Its Founding.” Harvard Law Today, September 5, 2017. Accessed January 24, 2026, https://hls.harvard.edu/today/harvard-law-school-unveils-memorial-honoring-enslaved-people-contributed-founding/.
Halper, James D. “Law School Unveils Slavery Monument, Reflects History.” The Harvard Crimson, September 6, 2017. Accessed January 24, 2026, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/9/6/hls-plaque-honors-slaves/.
Halper, James D. “Law School Unveils Slavery Monument, Reflects History.” The Harvard Crimson, September 6, 2017. Accessed January 24, 2026, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/9/6/hls-plaque-honors-slaves/.
Rights Holder
Renée Ater
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Sculpture
Citation
Harvard Law School, “Slavery Memorial (Cambridge, Massachusetts),” Contemporary Monuments to the Slave Past, accessed October 1, 2026, https://slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1266.