Renty Taylor facts for kids

Renty Taylor (born around 1775, died after 1865), also known as Renty Thompson or Papa Renty, was an African man who lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. He was born in the Congo Basin in Africa. Sadly, he was captured and forced into slavery, then brought to the United States and sold. Renty worked on a cotton plantation owned by Benjamin Franklin Taylor. He is famous for being one of the people in the oldest known photographs of enslaved people. These pictures were taken in March 1850 by Joseph T. Zealy. A scientist named Louis Agassiz oversaw the photos. Agassiz used these images to support unfair ideas that claimed African people were not as good as white people. These ideas were used to justify slavery and promote white supremacy.

Renty Taylor's Life Story

Early Life and Enslavement

Renty Taylor was born around 1775 in the Congo region of Africa. We do not know his birth name today. He was captured by slave traders and brought to New Orleans on a Spanish slave ship around 1800. Later, he was bought by Col. Thomas Taylor and eventually ended up at the "Edgehill" plantation in Columbia, South Carolina.

Renty Taylor was very proud of his African heritage. Even though there were strict laws against it, he taught himself to read. He also secretly taught other enslaved African-Americans how to read. Learning to read was very dangerous for enslaved people at that time.

The Famous Photos

In March 1850, a scientist named Louis Agassiz asked for special photographs to be taken. These photos were daguerreotypes, which are early types of photographs. Renty Taylor and his daughter, Delia, who was also enslaved, were photographed. These pictures are the earliest known photographs of enslaved people. Agassiz used these images to try and prove his unfair ideas about black people being inferior.

Agassiz left these important images to Harvard. They were kept in the attic of the Peabody Museum until 1976. That's when they were found again by Ellie Reichlin. In 1852, Renty and Delia's names appeared on a list of Benjamin Franklin Taylor's enslaved people. Renty took the name Renty Taylor sometime after the American Civil War ended in 1865. We don't know when he died or if he was ever truly freed. He disappeared from records about three years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Fighting for Justice

In 2019, Renty Taylor's family members sued Harvard University. They wanted the photographs returned to them and asked for money for the harm caused. Many of Louis Agassiz's own family members supported this lawsuit. They wrote a letter saying that Harvard should give the daguerreotypes to Renty's family. They felt this would help make up for how Agassiz used the photos to promote harmful ideas about white supremacy.

Tamara Lanier, who is Renty Taylor's great-great-great granddaughter, said she wanted the images to be available to everyone. She believed Harvard should not make money from these pictures. She also said it was about bringing back dignity to Renty and his family. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2021. However, Lanier quickly appealed the decision, continuing her family's fight.