Legacies of Enslavement

A collaborative community exploring the University’s historical links to slavery, supporting and promoting research into histories of enslavement, colonialism and its afterlives, and bringing together researchers, students, and practitioners to share knowledge, foster dialogue and inspire action.

Thomas Malton the Younger, 1748–1804, King's Parade, Cambridge, between 1798 and 1799, Oil on canvas painting
Understanding our past

Find out more about the creation of this initiative and our research-led report into the University's links to the history of enslavement

 Students looking at whiteboard with handwritten notes and ideas
Research projects and activities

Discover the initiatives across our community delivering research, teaching, and public programmes on the legacies of enslavement

 Two University staff members shaking hands
Join the network

Find out how you can get involved in our activities and join our mailing list to keep up to date

News

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3 Mar 2026

Quantifying freedom

A detailed 1878 map of West Africa showing regions including Senegal, Gambia, and Sierra Leone, with colonial-era borders, coastal outlines, and labelled settlements.

2 Mar 2026

Cambridge Festival - events of interest

White Cambridge Festival Logo on a bright pink background

26 Feb 2026

Celebrating Black Minds: Opening event at the Fitzwilliam Museum

Portrait of Henry Louis Gates Jr. by Kerry James Marshall showing him seated at a desk with books and an Emmy award

25 Feb 2026

The painful and difficult work of recovering Black History

A promotional graphic titled "Scholars in conversation,” featuring bold typography on a clean background, and including photos of Scholars Ola Osman and Andrea Loucil.

12 Feb 2026

A woman artist and plantation slavery in the Royal Collection

Vere Lynch, A Cocoa Tree and Roasting Hut, 1672, oil on canvas, 277.0 x 103.5 cm (it originally measured 203.5 x 103.5cm), The Royal Collection Trust (RCIN 406104). © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025.

11 Feb 2026

Cambridge University returns legal ownership of 116 Benin artefacts to Nigeria's National Commission

A brass penannular bracelet decorated with heavy slanting bands.