Researchers will document the history and legacy of enslavement in Boston, reparations task force announces

Massachusetts Bay Colony was the first in New England to permit the enslavement of kidnapped Africans in the 1600s. Four centuries later, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Reparations Task Force announced today a group of historians will research and document the city’s role in slave trade, enslavement in the area and the legacy and impact of slavery today.“I’m grateful to these teams of historians who will serve our city by documenting Boston’s role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the myriad legacies of slavery that continue to impact the daily lives of our city’s communities,” Wu said. “Through their scholarship and partnership with our task force, we will better understand the full picture of our city’s history and look forward to their comprehensive report that will build on our ongoing efforts.”The city and task force said researchers will conduct both original historical research and provide a comprehensive review of major themes and findings on the city’s history from 1620 to the present in a written report.This is following a request for proposals released last September. A budget of $500,000 will support the effort, and funding comes from the annual operating budget and federal relief funds.The contracts are awarded...