In response to months of protests, Harvard Law School will change its official seal (or shield) wherein the symbols are linked to 18th century slavery. Last Friday, a committee ruled the law school's seal as inappropriate.
The committee comprised of alumni, professors, students and staff. In their recommendation, they expressed that if the law school will have an official symbol, it must closely reflect the school's values. The existing shield clearly does not represent these values.
The committee submitted its decision to the Harvard Corporation, the governing body of the University, which asked for the shield not to be used as the law school's official seal. However, the corporation has yet to say when they will address the recommendation.
Harvard law professor and committee chairman Bruce Mann said that the meaning of the seal changed over time. Mann said many people started to think of the seal as an obstruction and associated it with slaver. Dean Martha Minow also backed the committee's 10-2 recommendation.
"Its association with slavery does not represent the values and aspirations of the Harvard Law School," said Minow in a message to alumni and students at the campus.
The seal's three bundles of wheat were actually borrowed from Isaac Royall Jr.'s family crest. Isaac Royall Sr. built much of the family's fortune through the slaves who worked on the farms in Massachusetts and the Caribbean sugar plantations. Royall's donation estate was used to build Harvard's first law professorship. The current shield was used since 1937.
Minow created the committee to tackle the issue after several law students formed the Royall Must Fall group and cried foul on what the shield represents.
Royall Must Fall member AJ Clayborne, a third-year student at Harvard Law said they consider the committee's recommendation as a victory, a fruit of their 'tireless advocacy.' Clayborne added that the group is also addressing other racial injustices at the law school.
Of course, not everyone agree with the committee's recommendation. One student and one professor said that keeping the original shield is a way of honoring the slaves who helped the Royall's build their fortune.
Instead of taking it down, they suggested updating it by adding the word iustitia (Latin for 'justice') below the word veritas (Latin for 'truth'). They also said the emblem should come with a "historically sound interpretative narrative."
Photo: Richard Howe | Flickr
