What Should I Do With My Portrait of a Slaveholding Ancestor?

Do I keep it or sell it?

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story October 2, 2021 Illustration by Tomi Um The Ethicist What Should I Do With My Portrait of a Slaveholding Ancestor? The magazine's Ethicist columnist on how to handle articles of history from a difficult past. By Kwame Anthony Appiah My family's ancestors, the Bibbs, were key figures in the establishment of Alabama. My great-uncle was its territorial governor, appointed by James Monroe, and was elected to the governorship when Alabama entered the union. These ancestors had plantations and owned slaves. I possess a large, elegant portrait of this slaveholding governor, William Wyatt Bibb (1781-1820). This portrait held a place of honor in my childhood home and hangs over the mantel in my living room. I even named one of my sons Wyatt in the governor's honor. Formerly, I did not give much thought to the Bibb family's role in the institution of slavery. Now I have, and I have misgivings about displaying a portrait of a problematic ancestor. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT I had the painting appraised years ago and was told that as an unauthenticated portrait it was worth about $5,000, and if it could be authenticated, it would be worth about $50,000. If I got the portrait authenticated, I could sell it and donate the money to an organization focused on reparations. This would assuage my conscience. On the other hand, this portrait has been in the family for about 200 years, and I am the steward of it. If I decide to keep it, how might we display it so as not to cause offense? Read the Ethicist's response here. Subscribe Today We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THIS WEEK'S MAGAZINE Ruth Fremson/The New York Times When Dasani Left Home What happens when trying to escape poverty means separating from your family at 13? By Andrea Elliott and Ruth Fremson Illustration by Juliette Toma Why Is Every Young Person in America Watching 'The Sopranos'? The show's new audience is also seeing something different in it: a parable about a country in terminal decline. By Willy Staley Mamadi Doumbouya for The New York Times Talk Brian Cox Has No Sympathy for His Filthy-Rich Family on 'Succession' "I'm not a capitalist. So I see the wealthy all finally getting hoisted by their own petard." By David Marchese Illustration by PS Spencer. Source photograph by Thomas Victor. She Changed Black Literature Forever. Then She Disappeared. In search of Gayl Jones, whose new novel breaks 22 years of silence. By Imani Perry MORE FROM THE MAGAZINE Photo illustration by Ina Jang Diagnosis She Was Training for a Marathon. Suddenly, She Could Barely Walk. What could cause so sudden a decline? By Lisa Sanders, M.D. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas. Eat A Perfect Pancake for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner Chickpea pancakes, rich with olive oil, are topped with radicchio and roasted mushrooms. By Tejal Rao Illustration by Jo Zixuan Letter of Recommendation How My Phone's Most Annoying Feature Saved My Life Voice mail messages from my family allowed me to slowly climb out of a state of gloom and self-imposed isolation. By Serenity Hughes Photo illustration by Najeebah Al-Ghadban Screenland Stop Spreading the News: The Case for a New York Without Tourists The city is mobilizing, once again, to sell visitors on a dream. But what if we just let New York be itself? By Jamie Fisher Illustration by Louise Zergaeng Pomeroy Judge John Hodgman on Birthday Traditions A mother tries to impose her iron will of well-wishing on her adult daughter. By Judge John Hodgman Illustration by Radio Tip How to Fill a Pothole Choose an off-peak traffic hour. Fill it up slightly higher than the road surface to avoid sag. By Malia Wollan Illustration by R. O. Blechman Poem: Postlude A bounty of clarity in the poetry of Rita Dove. By Rita Dove and Reginald Dwayne Betts Stay in touch: Follow us on Twitter (@NYTmag) or check us out on Instagram. Appreciated this email? Forward it to a friend and help us grow. Loved a story? Hated it? Write us a letter at magazine@nytimes.com. Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here to get the magazine newsletter. Listen to narrated versions of our articles every week. Download Audm for iPhone or Android. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The New York Times Magazine from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018