Further research: legacies of enslavement

View of Library from balcony with students sitting in window

A small working group of Fellows, staff and student representatives are helping to guide reflection on Newnham's legacies of enslavement. 

It was agreed when initial findings from student research on the financial legacy were presented to Governing Body in 2022 that further research should be carried out into the financial interests identified in the initial case studies, in order to clarify and better understand the probable links between these and Newnham College.

More broadly, there is a great deal of fruitful research into the social and financial links between late Victorian society, Newnham and the legacies of enslavement that could be carried out by both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The College should encourage and support this research.

Communications and educational materials

The College is communicating the nature and the findings of its Legacies of Enslavement research programme to other Cambridge colleges, the University, and the broader public; and has incorporated these aspects of Newnham’s history on the College website.

Working with the University Museums, library and archive staff are developing displays and events that explore specific elements of our College’s history more deeply, including these links to enslavement.

Development of the College Archives

To facilitate further research by scholars, the Archivist plans to digitise and make available the records referenced in the student research report that relate to the establishment of the College, and consider how to identify and collect further information related to enslavement and its legacies for the College Archives.

Contribution to wider research

We know from comments from other researchers that the Newnham Inquiry, alongside the other College inquiries, has expanded and enriched the work of the broader University inquiry. It also demonstrates the use of interesting methodological approaches to understand the social networks of women in early College history, and Cambridge women’s histories.

Related work: towards racial equality

The Legacies of Enslavement research programme is linked to the College’s broader work towards racial equality in all areas of College life from outreach and admissions through to the nature of the artwork displayed within College. For example the College has been fundraising for postgraduate awards for BME students, the Margaret Anstee Centre offers a visiting Fellowship for a Black scholar, the College seeks to communicate the achievements of students and alumnae of colour across all of its communication channels, and has appointed an Advisor to BME students from the 2020/21 academic year. The current BME Advisor is Professor Manali Desai.