Rider to investigate possible historical connections between institution and slavery

Rider University has formed a new task force charged with proactively researching the institution's historical relationship and connection with slavery and enslaved people. 

In an email announcing the group, called the Taskforce on Rider and the History of Slavery, President Gregory G. Dell'Omo stated that the University was already aware of one such connection. 

Van Cleve Alumni House, located at the front of campus, is named after Benjamin Van Cleve, one of the earliest known owners of what is now the Lawrenceville campus property. Born in 1739, he fought in the Revolutionary War and was later a member of the state legislature and a judge. According to tax records, he also owned at least one enslaved person. 

"To continue honoring a person while also living in ignorance of such appalling facts is simply no longer acceptable," Dell'Omo said. 

The announcement came as the legacies of many celebrated historical figures connected with injustice are being reexamined, sparked most recently by the outcry over the death of Black Americans at the hands of the police. 

"Across the nation, many institutions, organizations and individuals are seeing historical markers that perpetuate slavery, racism and oppression with refreshing clarity," Dell'Omo said. "As an institution, we will not shy away from the acknowledgment of any such markers."

The University also stressed that it wants to use examples such as Van Cleve as opportunities for education. 

"As an institution of higher education, we have a valuable role to play in increasing our knowledge and understanding of the abhorrent institution of slavery," Dell'Omo said. "I look forward to the task force's recommendations on how we can deepen our efforts to do just that."

Dr. Brooke Hunter, an associate dean in Rider’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the official historian of Lawrence Township, is currently preparing an event aimed at educating participants about the history of slavery in New Jersey. She teaches American history at Rider and has conducted research on the local history of slavery. 

Hunter is co-chairing the new task force along with Dr. Evelyn McDowell, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Accounting. McDowell is also the president of National Society Sons & Daughters of the United States Middle Passage, a lineage society dedicated to preserving the memory and history of the artifacts and landmarks of slavery. 

The task force also includes staff, students, alumni and additional faculty.