Joanna Steinberg stands next to a bookcase, its center empty, flanked by history books about Yale and portraits of Black alumni who attended the school in the 1800s.
Steinberg said it was one of the most impactful parts of the New Haven Museum exhibition that explores Yale University’s relationship to slavery.
“There is this empty shelf in the room where you can see the mention of the proposal for what would have been the first black college in the nation,” said Steinberg, the museum's director of learning and engagement.
The exhibit, "Shining Light on Truth: New Haven, Yale and Slavery" has been open at the New Haven Museum for over a year and is winding down.
Steinberg says people can learn about Yale’s role, but also the individual lives of people who escaped slavery or led free lives.
More than 11,000 people viewed the exhibit, she said. Steinberg said it is part of a wider effort by Yale to atone for past historical wrongs connected with slavery and white supremacy.
Greater New Haven NAACP President Dori Dumas said seeing the empty spaces on the bookshelf made her reflect.
“Filling up those spaces probably would have been just more Black excellence, more Black people thriving, more Black people advancing, which is what this country should be about: everybody having those opportunities,” Dumas said.
The rest of the exhibit includes ledgers listing free and enslaved Black men who built Connecticut Hall, a student dormitory and one of the oldest buildings on campus. The exhibit also shares newspaper advertisements seeking the return of runaway slaves and the histories of local Black churches that were founded in the area.
Steinberg said the exhibit has proven to be popular with local schools, as many students don’t know about these connections until they come to the museum.
“What I often hear from our students [is] that they're hearing many names of stories that they want to remember and the fact that they heard it here for the first time has really stood out to me,” Steinberg said.
The exhibit has been impactful for students because many can see how the fight for equality got its start at the local level, according to Steinberg.
She walked over to a part of the exhibit focusing on William Grimes, a Black man who escaped slavery in Georgia, and traveled to New York City by ship. Grimes then walked from New York to New Haven. He would write about his life after facing recapture in 1825.
Steinberg said it is the first-known autobiography written by a formerly enslaved person.
There are other accomplishments. She pointed to a portrait of James W.C. Pennington, a noted abolitionist, and the first Black student to attend Yale. A university fellowship now bears his name.
Seeing these stories carries a different weight as the political climate has changed since 2024 with backlash against DEI programs and racial equity initiatives becoming increasingly more common.
“We want to make sure that these stories aren't erased, given what's all that's happening now with changes to the curriculum and the removal of DEI programs,” Steinberg said. “But, also, it's important that all students learn this history and that it serves us all and gives us a more complete understanding of U.S. history and where we are today."
If you go
The exhibit, "Shining Light on Truth: New Haven, Yale and Slavery" concludes at the New Haven Museum on March 1.
