The Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative announces recipients of its inaugural grant program

The Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative (H&LS) is pleased to announce the recipients of its inaugural Reparative Partnership Program, which supports innovative and impactful proposals addressing systemic inequities affecting people who have been harmed by slavery, particularly in the Cambridge and Boston communities. 

“I am excited about the opportunities these grant partnerships will create and the potential to make meaningful change within the local community,” said Sara Bleich, vice provost for special projects, Harvard University.

H&LS was established in January 2023 to implement the recommendations in the Report of the Presidential Committee on Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery. The initiative seeks to address systemic inequities by developing and advancing visible, lasting, and effective action through partnerships and by leveraging Harvard’s educational and research resources. This grant program is an important part of that broader effort and requires that projects be co-led by a Harvard partner and a community partner. It also requires that at least 60 percent of funds are awarded to the community partner.

Recipients will receive a seed grant of up to $25,000 for one year or an impact grant of up to $350,000 for two years. The projects will begin in July 2024. Over 50 percent of grant recipients will work on education-related projects, and 25 percent of grant recipients will work on economic mobility-related projects. Other project areas of focus include healthcare, criminal justice, and environmental justice. A sample of grant recipients include:

Community Art Center and the Harvard Art Museums, Project: Our Voice, Our Stories, Our Legacy: Celebrating Black Cambridge Youth through the Arts

The Initiative on Land, Housing & Property Rights at Boston College Law School and the Harvard Law School, Project: A Homeownership Estate Planning Project to Close the Racial Wealth Gap

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Historic Preservation Department and the Harvard Divinity School, Project: Tribal Archives Preservation and University Access

Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and Harvard Medical School, Project: Investing in Community-Led scholarship in Community Health Centers

Phalen Academies and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Project: PLA University: Workforce Development Program (for Boston and Cambridge unemployed and underemployed individuals)

To see the full list, visit this link.

“We find ourselves at an exciting stage in our work, laying the groundwork for a transformative journey ahead,” said Roeshana Moore-Evans, executive director of the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative. “It’s a privilege to collaborate with these organizations, who are committed to equity and justice.”

For more information, contact Senior Associate Director of Communications, Julita Bailey-Vasco at julita_bailey-vasco@harvard.edu