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Davidson College's groundbreaking report from its Commission on Race and Slavery in 2020Description
Davidson College released the groundbreaking report from its Commission on Race and Slavery in 2020, followed by subsequent historical studies. The findings detail how enslaved and exploited persons were foundational to the college's construction and daily operation, outlining a legacy of institutional ties to slavery, trafficking, and systemic racism.
The findings and ongoing restorative initiatives highlight several key aspects of the college's history:
Foundation and Construction: Enslaved individuals—whose names were often unrecorded but whose thumbprints can still be seen in the bricks—made the materials for five prominent, still-standing campus structures: Phi and Eu halls, Elm and Oak Row, and the President's House.
Labor and Exploitation: Early college leaders and faculty owned or rented enslaved people to cook, clean, build, and farm for the campus. Enslaved servants were also required to tend to students' rooms, make fires, carry water, and shine shoes.
Financial Ties: In 2023, deeper archival research revealed that benefactor Maxwell Chambers was a major slave trafficker whose wealth directly benefited the survival and growth of the college before and during the Civil War.
Restorative Justice: A formal institutional apology was issued, and the college has continued its commitment to racial reconciliation and education. These efforts include engaging with descendant communities, studying the former Davidson family Beaver Dam plantation, and establishing the memorial "With These Hands: A Memorial to the Enslaved and Exploited" on campus.
