Marginalia // November 2025

To my dear subscribers—

I am writing to share an update on a research project I contributed to over recent years in my capacity as a Research Assistant on the Harvard and Legacies of Slavery Initiative. I delivered a brief talk last month as part of my research group’s presentation of our findings. My work on this project began in summer of 2023 and sought to clarify the financial entanglements between the institution of slavery on the one hand, and Harvard Medical School’s founding faculty members and donors on the other.

This project took me on a surprising series of adventures across New England from archival repositories and historical societies to cemeteries, and involved poring over wills and marriage records to clarify when and to whom human property was transferred. Below are only a few highlights from this expansive project:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kaitlin Smith is a scholar, transformational educator, and consultant completing a Ph.D at Harvard in History of Science and African American Studies. She helps students, organizations, and everyday people transform through humanistic inquiry and introspection.