Harvard Law Might Get Rid Of Its Slavery Inspired Official Seal

Harvard Law School has educated some of the important and impactful progressive figures in our nation’s history.

Barack Obama, the first black President learned the law there, so did the first African-American female Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

But despite its esteemed reputation, Harvard Law has had a dark secret hiding in plain sight since the 1930s.

The law school’s official seal was recently discovered to have been inspired by the seal of a notorious and brutal slave owner- Isaac Royall.

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The Royall family seal features three sheaves of wheat, which also appears in the Harvard seal. Photo Credit: Harvard Press

The seal depicts three “sheaves” of wheat, which according to the Boston Globe is a direct derivative of the Royall family crest.

After a racial incident rocked the campus last fall, students started to organize to remove the seal.

On Friday, a commission of students, faculty and alumni recommended to change the official seal.

Here’s what the official seal looks like:

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“The Harvard Corporation just received the recommendation from the Harvard Law School faculty committee late this week. It will review the recommendation and make a determination in due course,” Jeff Neal, a Harvard University spokesman told the Boston Globe in an e-mail.

RISE NEWS will continue to follow this developing story. 

Cover Photo Credit: Harvard: Royall Must Fall/ Facebook

Do you believe that institutions of higher learning should remove official seals or change names of buildings that were inspired by slave owners? Tell us in the comments below: 

 

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