betsy ROSS and ben FraNklin ARE ONLY PART OF THE PHILLY STORY
This Summer A New Storytelling Festival, Exhibits and Tours
Tell The True Tales Of Free Slaves And Africans In Philadelphia

Philadelphia, May 12, 2005 — Generations of Philadelphia visitors have heard Betsy Ross’ legendary story, but how about the dramatic journey of James Forten, a free African American who served in the American Navy during the Revolutionary War, made a fortune as a sailmaker and became a leader in the abolitionist movement? Stories about Forten and dozens of other courageous Americans will be told in Philadelphia beginning May 28, 2005, as part of Once Upon A Nation, a new summer-long storytelling celebration that aims to share some of the nation’s most compelling untold and undertold tales. In addition, special exhibitions and tours in and around the city’s Historic District will explore the experiences of African Americans in more detail, providing a more inclusive, more accurate portrayal of the nation’s history.

Storytelling

Thirteen new storytelling benches in Philadelphia’s Historic District are the centerpieces of the $10 million Once Upon A Nation project. At the Betsy Ross House, Christ Church, Franklin Court and many other locations, storytellers in contemporary dress will share their tales daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends. Of particular interest to African American visitors will be the stories of:

• William Still – Born a free man to a woman who escaped slavery and settled in New Jersey, Still worked with the Pennsylvania Abolition Society recording the names and stories of those traveling north to freedom. The most remarkable story he recorded was that of his own reunion with his long-lost brother who his mother had to leave behind.

• Richard Allen – The enslaved Allen purchased his freedom by working as a blacksmith. His true calling, he soon realized, was the ministry. Allen helped the sick during the Yellow Fever Epidemics of the 1790s. He also founded Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, a denomination that served black citizens, which is still in existence today.

• Absalom Jones – A religious man who attended services at St. George’s Methodist Church, Jones gained freedom in 1784. When members of his congregation requested that he sit in the balcony, Jones left the church. Eventually, he became the first black man to be ordained in the country and later founded St. Thomas's Episcopal Church.

On Exhibit

On June 10, 2005, the National Constitution Center will debut its first traveling exhibition Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War. Produced in association with The Lincoln Museum of Fort Wayne, Indiana, the 2,500-square-foot exhibit shows how Lincoln’s leadership steered the nation through its most turbulent years. The core of the exhibition consists of three sections, each focusing on the key constitutional challenges—secession, slavery and civil liberties—that tested the president’s leadership. Within each section, priceless original documents, such as signed copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13^th Amendment that abolished slavery, will bring Lincoln’s presidency to life. In the Crisis of Slavery section, visitors can try to use the right “constitutional keys” to “unlock” the slavery problem.

Historic Tours

Customized tours of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods also help give visitors a more complete look at the nation’s history. Philadelphia’s Civil Rights Struggle, an offering of the Neighborhood Tourism Network (NTN), is a three-hour excursion that explores the city’s civil rights struggle. The tour includes a stop at Girard College, where participants learn about the dramatic protests that brought about the integration of a school that once only admitted white orphan boys, along with a visit to the Church of the Advocate, for a look at stunning murals that celebrate the leadership of local civil rights icons. Another NTN tour, Taking a Stand for Freedom, evokes the moral and spiritual battles of conscience waged by Philadelphians who risked their lives as station masters on the Underground Railroad. The journey includes stops at Mother Bethel AME Church and the Johnson House Historic Site. Tours take place on select Saturdays in June and September.

During Independence National Historical Park’s Quest for Freedom: The Underground Railroad in Philadelphia walking tour, visitors can follow in the footsteps of enslaved freedom seekers. This ranger-led excursion around Independence Mall includes a stop at 6^th & Market Streets, the site of the President’s House where George Washington kept some of his enslaved Africans and ends near Washington Square, which once served as a burial ground for victims of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic, African Americans and soldiers who died during the Revolution. Tours are offered daily in July and August.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) builds the region’s economy and image through destination marketing to increase the number of visitors, the number of nights they stay and the number of things they do in the five-county region. 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

2005

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