Furman University Libraries’ Archivist Dr. Nashieli Marcano has completed work on a digital exhibition related to the university’s connection with slavery. This exhibition is designed to serve as the digital equivalent of a physical exhibition that was curated by Dr. Jeff Makala and Dr. Stephen O’Neill and displayed in 2018. That exhibit included artifacts from the work done by the university’s Task Force on Slavery and Justice. Our hope is that this webpage will make this aspect of Furman’s history more accessible.
“We wanted to complement and augment the 2018 physical exhibition with the creation of an accessible virtual space where visitors can explore and reflect on a lamentable chapter of our institutional history with lasting effects.” –Dr. Nashieli Marcano
Whereas the 2018 physical exhibit had glass display cases with books and ephemera, Dr. Marcano’s incredible work on the website has many digital scans of the materials reviewed by the Task Force. The sections of the website are organized by themes and topics similar to how the display cases were organized in 2018: Founding a University, Richard Furman’s Legacy, Constructing a Campus, James C. Furman, 1860’s and Postbellum Years, Turn of the Century, and Modern Legacies.
We encourage you to explore the Legacy of Slavery Digital Exhibition and reflect on this history.
“This digital exhibition is an invitation to engage with our historical materials, make critical connections, and pose new questions that can lead to better decisions about our present and future”— Dr. Nashieli Marcano