PHILLY’S NEW HISTORIC PROJECTS BRING EMPHASIS TO THE UNDERTOLD STORIES OF AFRICAN AMERICANS
Two New Memorials And Two New Tours Announced
PHILADELPHIA, February 5, 2007 - Over the next two years, new historical projects in Philadelphia will reveal untold chapters in the nation’s history and bring new emphasis to the undertold stories of African Americans. The President’s House Commemorative Site, to be erected just steps away from the Liberty Bell Center, will honor the enslaved Africans who lived in the first Executive Mansion, home of the nation’s first two presidents. At City Hall, a commissioned work of public art will pay tribute to the life of Octavius V. Catto, a prominent civil rights activist in Philadelphia. And, throughout Greater Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, new tours concentrating on the Underground Railroad and African American culture in Philadelphia are helping to round out the African American experience.
Church of the Advocate
Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC
The President’s House Commemorative Site:
Slated to debut in December 2007, within close view of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center, The President’s House Commemorative Site will serve as a permanent, outdoor installation that honors the memory of the enslaved Africans who resided there during George Washington’s presidential tenure. The site will be an acknowledgement of Independence Mall’s early history as a philosophical battleground on the status of free Africans and the history of slavery. Washington kept nine enslaved Africans in the President’s House, where he lived from 1790 to 1797. Today, there is no such house. It was torn down in 1832 and its last remnants, which stood next to the former Liberty Bell Pavilion, were demolished in 1951.
Octavius V. Catto Memorial:
In early 2007, several renowned sculptors will compete to design a statue on the grounds of City Hall that will be dedicated to the life of Octavius V. Catto, a prominent Philadelphian who fought for the rights of his fellow African Americans to serve in the Union Army, ride street cars and play baseball. Catto was assassinated at the age of 32 on Election Day, October 10, 1871, as he advocated for voting rights for African Americans. Appropriately, the memorial dedication is set for October 2008, just before the nation’s critical presidential elections.
Philly Noir:
Released just in time for Black History Month, Philly Noir is the newest podcast tour on SoundAboutPhilly.com, a site recently launched by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, featuring free dynamically mapped and completely customizable sound-seeing tours of Philadelphia. The fifth installment in the podcast series, Philly Noir concentrates on African American culture and its role in the city’s past, present and future. The tour is a fusion of Philly’s historic events, spiritual reflections, visual arts, soulful rhythms, legendary athletics and southern and Caribbean cuisine. Each of the 11 segments, focusing on spots such as International Records, the Blue Horizon, Church of the Advocate and Delilah’s restaurant, talks about a local venue that plays a pivotal part in the combined experience that makes up Philadelphia’s authentic flavor. The tour features distinctive and varied voices of business owners, pastors, musicians and everyday, in-the-know residents.
Quest for Freedom:
In spring 2007, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will launch the first phase of a statewide Underground Railroad initiative, called the Pennsylvania Quest for Freedom. The program links Underground Railroad sites and programs in five regions in Southeast Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Valley Forge, Lancaster, Columbia, York and Gettysburg. Visitors can spend several days visiting the more than 20 Underground Railroad sites throughout Greater Philadelphia. Once a hub of abolitionist activity, the region’s story centers on the anti-slavery movement led by Quakers and free blacks. Popular sites include Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church and the Johnson House Historic Site, both National Historic Landmarks and both open to the public. (Sites not open to the public are identifiable by blue and yellow historic markers.) Nearby shops and restaurants help round out the itineraries. The Quest for Freedom Trail Guide is downloadable at www.questforfreedom.org.
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside™ a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.
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CONTACT:
Leha Anderson-Rhyens, GPTMC
(215) 599-2298, leha@gptmc.com
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