Descendant Tamara Lanier Explains Suit Against Harvard And Slavery Images The Gist of Freedom and Guest host Kimberly Simmons welcomes Tamara Lanier. Join us as Mrs. Lanier updates us on her suit against Harvard Lawsuit by gr-gr-gr-granddaughter of slavery survivor blasts Harvard for collecting licensing fees on the photos of her ancestors which were used in racist research. “These images were taken under duress, ordered by a Harvard professor bent on proving the inferiority of African-Americans,” said her lawyer Michael Koskoff. “Harvard has no right to keep them, let alone profit from them. It’s about time the university accepted responsibility for its shameful history and for the way it has treated Papa Renty and his family.”