"A Fork in the 'Rhodes'"
A Fork in the "Rhodes"
Case Overview
In this fictional case set at Harvard College, Layla, an African American student with South African and Zimbabwean ancestry, must decide whether to apply for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, knowing that its creator and primary funder spread white supremacy and imperialism across the African continent. While some advise her to reject funding endowed by a man who caused so much harm, others believe her heritage makes her an ideal scholarship recipient. Should Cecil Rhodes’s historical legacy impact her decision—and if so, in which direction?
You can find and download the full case study or the reader theater's script below.
Key Questions You Will Explore
- How should prominent historical figures’ beliefs and actions impact the ways that institutions and individuals view “honors” associated with those figures (like scholarships)?
- How can individuals make ethical decisions at institutions whose entanglements with slavery and its legacies feel ethically compromised?
- What, if anything, do institutions that benefited from slavery owe to impacted communities?
- How should individuals think about the impact of their decisions (like choosing to take the Rhodes Scholarship or not) in disrupting or perpetuating the legacies of slavery?
Hear from the Experts
Why is this issue a real dilemma? Watch short video commentaries to explore the complexities, challenges, and values at stake in this case.
As you watch each video, consider the following questions:
- What resonates with you in this video?
- What questions does this video raise for you?
- How does this video impact your understanding of the dilemmas in the case?
On Individual & Institutional Responsibility
Vincent Brown, Charles Warren Professor of American History and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, answers the question: What responsibilities, if any, do we take on when joining institutions that benefited from slavery?
On Institutional History
Professor Kirt von Daacke, Executive Director of Universities Studying Slavery and the Gibbons Project at University of Virginia, and Ashley Kristin Schmidt, Assistant Director of the Gibbons Project at University of Virginia, answer the question: Why is it important to grapple with the role that slavery played at higher education institutions and the legacies of slavery that persist to this day?
Additional Resources
- For more information about the life and legacy of Cecil Rhodes, try this biography from Oriel College, University of Oxford (redirect) and this Britannica biography of Cecil Rhodes (redirect).
- Learn about the fundamentals of the Rhodes Scholarship on the Rhodes Scholarship overview page (redirect).
- Learn more about what the Rhodes Trust is doing to address its “complicated history” (redirect).
- To understand how Rhodes’ legacy and British colonialism continue to shape institutions and inequalities today, consider Simukai Chigudu’s personal account as a Zimbabwean Oxford scholar, which describes living under Cecil Rhodes’s legacy in Zimbabwe and Chigudu’s experiences at Oxford University (redirect).
- Explore the faculty and student-led protests against Oxford University’s connection to Cecil Rhodes (redirect) and why the statue of Cecil Rhodes has drawn criticism from scholars at the University.
- The Rhodes Trust has resisted calls to remove Rhodes’ name from the scholarship program. Elizabeth Kiss, Warden of the Rhodes House from 2018-2025, explains the decision to keep the “Rhodes” name on the scholarship (redirect).
Case Reflection Questions
- How, if at all, do Cecil Rhodes' actions and beliefs impact your view of the Rhodes Scholarship?
- Have you ever faced a similar decision to Layla's? What was it?
- What was new or surprising for you in this case?
Are You Hoping to Lead People Through This Learning Pathway?
The Pathway Facilitation Guide provides comprehensive information and guidance for teaching and learning with this learning pathway:
- guidance on customizing your pathway
- best practices for normative case discussions
- detailed protocols for each case
- discussion questions for different audiences
- extension activities for personalized learning
Want facilitation materials and guidance just for this one case? Download the Case Facilitation Guide!
What's Next? Exploring the Other Cases in this Pathway
This pathway contains four additional case studies and supporting materials that explore dilemmas related to institutional entanglement with slavery and the legacies of that entanglement. Click on each case below to learn more.
In this fictional case, a group of Harvard University students learn the history of Professor Louis Agassiz, whose research and theories justified the institution of slavery, highlighting the university’s ties with enslavement. Each student grapples with how to react to the University’s complex history and legacy.
What responsibility does the University have to teach this history, and what are our personal responsibilities to learn?
A committee at a fictional college revisits their decision to rename an administrative building in the face of new understanding of the founder’s ties to slavery. Students and activists are demanding more sweeping changes, including renaming the entire college to address systemic racism, while some faculty and alumni emphasize preserving tradition and legacy.
What responsibilities do universities have to reconsider whom they memorialize, and how should they weigh different stakeholder perspectives?
In this fictional case, a group of literature professors weighs the historical and literary value of canonical texts like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn against the potential harm such books may cause students, as well as the value of diversifying the literary canon with postcolonial texts.
How, if at all, should historical context be taken into account as institutions and individual instructors choose which texts and thinkers to expose students to? How should instructors think about including figures with problematic legacies?
Set at Harvard University, this nonfiction case examines the iconography of figures who both served as champions of justice and equity and advocates for expulsion and oppression. These figures have ignited complex discussions as faculty, staff, students, and campus leaders try to determine whether, and if so, how these leaders should be memorialized in the visual culture of the campus.
With an institutional commitment to truth and a more diverse student body, what are the tradeoffs to consider when revisiting monuments for complex historical figures?
Learning about a topic like the legacy of slavery can be overwhelming. Community Care Resources are available for members of the Harvard community seeking support for mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being.
Want to Learn More?
EdEthics | Legacies and Lessons Video Playlist
Watch our full series of expert commentaries on grappling with complex history in higher education, featuring alumni, scholars, and institutional leaders.
Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative
Explore the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative and their work.
Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Report
Read the 2022 Report of the Presidential Committee on Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery.
