Symposium on Princeton’s Ties to Slavery Explores Lessons, Context, What’s Next
The Princeton & Slavery symposium anchored a weekend that included McCarter Theatre readings of seven short plays based on documents uncovered by project researchers; the premiere of a documentary film by Melvin McCray ’74 about contemporary Princetonians’ family ties to slaves and slaveholders; and an outdoor installation by contemporary artist Titus Kaphar commemorating a slave auction advertised at Maclean House in 1766.
Attended by an audience of several hundred, the symposium featured panel discussions among a dozen researchers, scholars, and academic administrators who presented highlights of the research, placed Princeton’s story in larger historical and contemporary contexts, and began a conversation about how the University should respond to the findings.