Begin with a Clock: How Brown University Addressed its Connection to Slavery

'In 2003, Brown University President Ruth Simmons appointed a Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice charged to investigate the university’s historical relationship to slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. This was the first major American university to launch such an inquire. The final report, released in 2006, recommended a series of measures, including the creation of a center for the study of slavery and injustice, rewriting Brown’s history to acknowledge the role of slavery, creating a memorial to the slave trade in Rhode Island, and recruiting more minority students.  Dr. Brenda Allen was a member of the Brown Committee and spoke at Duke on February 7, 2017, about the Committee’s work. Currently, Allen is Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Winston Salem State University.'