The Harvard Slavery Remembrance Program, part of Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery initiative, has laid off its staff.

Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery is a $100 million initiative that aims to identify people who were enslaved by Harvard founders.

According to The Crimson, as of now, the job has been handed over to the nonprofit genealogical organization, American Ancestors. 

Per a press release, Ryan J. Woods, President and CEO of American Ancestors said, “We understand from our extensive experience that tracing families descended from enslaved individuals is a complex, time-intensive process filled with significant challenges. We are committed to advancing this critical research to help Harvard establish meaningful connections and engagement with living descendants.”

It was a surprise for HSRP Director Richard J. Cellini and research fellow Wayne J. Tucker to learn of the mass layoff since there had not been any previous discussion. Ahead of the rest of the team, Cellini got his termination notice less than an hour before they did.

Earlier this week, Cellini texted: “Today Harvard fired me. So now we know.”

A week before their firing, Cellini and his team met with the Antigua and Barbuda prime minister and governor general to discuss establishing a research presence there.

During their tenure, The HSRP discovered that between 1660 and 1885, Harvard founders enslaved hundreds of people. The discovery added to the 300 enslaved by Harvard affiliates that HSRP had already identified. Additionally, the team discovered more than 100 living descendants.

HSRP’s recent findings could have allegedly led to the move. In September 2024, Cellini alleges Harvard’s Vice Provost for Special Projects, Sara N. Bleich, told his team “not to find too many descendants.”

“I have told officials at the highest level of the University that they only have two options: fire me, or let the HSRP do this work properly,” Cellini told The Crimson.

In a press release, per Black Enterprise, Harvard confirmed its involvement with American Ancestors.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., a member of the Legacy of Slavery initiative advisory council, “Thanks to the extensive work they have already done on the genealogies of enslaved people, American Ancestors brings an exceptional ability to scale the enormous effort the university has ahead of it.”