Book Talk: Tamara Lanier’s Fight With Harvard to #FreeRenty
Wednesday, February 12, at 8pm (EST) / 5pm (PST)
Join activist Tamara Lanier and Hyperallergic’s Editor-in-Chief Hrag Vartanian for an engaging discussion on From These Roots (Crown, 2025) at this online event co-presented by Hyperallergic and ICA LA. The event focuses on Lanier’s fight with Harvard University over its ownership and control of images of her ancestors Renty Taylor and Delia, who were photographed for a professor’s racist research.
Hyperallergic has closely followed the #FreeRenty movement, including a 2022 episode of the Hyperallergic Podcast where Vartanian interviews Lanier, and a 2021 special edition examining her legal battle with Harvard.
Lanier’s memoir From These Roots delves into her efforts to reclaim her ancestors’ daguerreotypes. Beyond a personal narrative, the book serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring impacts of slavery and the urgent need for reparative justice in the US. Lanier challenges us to consider who truly owns these images in the absence of consent, and what steps are needed to address the lasting effects of slavery.
Renty and Delia’s names are prominently displayed on banners by artist Cauleen Smith at ICA LA as part of the Scientia Sexualis exhibition.
Don’t miss the chance to engage with Tamara Lanier, Hrag Vartanian, Jennifer Doyle, and Jeanne Vaccaro in a thought-provoking conversation on February 12 at 8pm (EST) / 5pm (PST) via Zoom. Join the conversation here.
This virtual event is a collaboration between ICA LA and Hyperallergic.
