Free Renty: Lanier v. Harvard

Directed by: David Grubin Released: 2022 (educational) Year of Production: 2021 Running Time: 95 min Language: English Subtitle Options: English Closed Captions Subjects: African American Studies, Race Power and Privilege            “The question is, who owns the rights to the violence of the past? Is it the victim or the perpetrator? ” — Tamara Lanier      FREE RENTY tells the story of Tamara Lanier, an African American woman determined to force Harvard University to cede possession of daguerreotypes of her great-great-great grandfather, an enslaved man named Renty. The daguerreotypes were commissioned in 1850 by a Harvard professor to "prove" the superiority of the white race. The images remain emblematic of America’s failure to acknowledge the cruelty of slavery, the racist science that supported it and the white supremacy that continues to infect our society today. The film focuses on Lanier and tracks her lawsuit against Harvard, and features attorney Benjamin Cru