The University of King’s College in Halifax has launched a scholarly inquiry into potential ties to the slave trade.
William Lahey, president of the university, made the inquiry public knowledge in February.
“Given that our university was established in 1789 and slavery existed in Nova Scotia until 1834, we want to understand our early story fully and in all its complexity,” he said in a news release. “King’s cannot hope to be viewed as a welcoming community to people of African descent unless it openly and forthrightly addresses the question that can legitimately be asked about its history on race.”
This inquiry will investigate the university’s potential contribution to or benefit from the Transatlantic slave trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, and has expert contributors from both Canada and the United States taking part, according to the release.
The experts will investigate the nature and extent of connections between King’s College in Nova Scotia and its sister school, King’s College in New York, which later became Columbia University.
They will also look into the indirect links King’s College may have had with slavery in Nova Scotia, including potential monetary benefit from a societal economy that was dependent on slavery around the world.
Additionally, the inquiry will look into the connections King’s had with individuals who were involved with or benefitted from slavery, such as board members, funders, and alumni.
The University of King’s College is not the first post-secondary institution to question and search for answers with regards to its potential ties to slavery.
According to the news release, some American universities have also investigated their connections to the slave trade including Brown University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Yale University, and the University of Virginia.
“By looking at this difficult issue through a scholarly lens, we hope our research will not only contribute to a growing body of knowledge but also help foster stronger links between our King’s and African Nova Scotian communities,” Lahey said. “In the spirit of reconciliation with the African Nova Scotian community, we want to examine our past openly and honestly.”
The inquiry is expected to be completed in early 2019.
