Press Release

HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA: AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
A Richer Story Is Being Told About Free Blacks, Enslaved Africans And African-Americans In Historic Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, April 3, 2008 - This summer and beyond, Philadelphia will reveal untold chapters in the nation’s history and bring new emphasis to the undertold stories of African-Americans, allowing visitors to hear a far more accurate rendition of the United States’ early years than ever before. Not only will storytellers throughout Historic Philadelphia add new tales to their repertoire, but a self-guided Underground Railroad tour of Philadelphia will take participants from Society Hill to Germantown. Other projects in the works, including the President’s House Commemorative Site and the Octavius V. Catto memorial, will ensure that visitors have many reasons to come back to Philadelphia in the years to come.

Liberty Bell Center

Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

 

• The connection between the Liberty Bell and African-American history is revealed at the Liberty Bell Center, which opened in 2003. Exhibitions, videos and interactive displays explain how the Abolitionist Movement adopted the icon of freedom based on the inscribed quote from Leviticus, reading “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof,” as a symbol of its anti-slavery activities. Beginning in the late 1800s, the Liberty Bell traveled around the country to expositions to help heal the divisions of the Civil War. It reminded Americans of their earlier days when they worked together for independence. 5^th & Chestnut Streets, (215) 965-2305, www.nps.gov/inde
• The National Constitution Center is now home to an extremely rare copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln. The document that set a precedent for the abolition of slavery will be on display periodically over the next 10 years. Through hands-on activities, the permanent exhibition showcases the contributions of historically significant African-Americans; delves into pivotal Supreme Court cases, such as Dred Scott v. Sanfor and Brown v. Board of Education; and explores the passage of constitutional amendments that established rights for all citizens. 525 Arch Street, (215) 409-6700, www.constitutioncenter.org
• The African American Museum in Philadelphia, founded in 1976, is the first institution built by a major United States city to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage and culture of African-Americans. The museum is organized around three fundamental themes: the “African Diaspora,” which recognizes the gifts, lineage and unique cultural expressions that people of African ancestry share throughout the Americas and the world; the “Philadelphia Story,” which celebrates local and regional cultural achievements while enlightening visitors about the thirst for freedom and liberty shared by past generations; and the “Contemporary Narrative,” which relates current events. 701 Arch Street, (215) 574-0380, www.aampmuseum.org
• From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Once Upon A Nation’s professional storytellers return to the now-familiar benches throughout Historic Philadelphia with even more stories of the well-known and not-so-well-known people who shaped America’s history. Visitors can hear stories like that of Henry “Box” Brown who packed himself in a wooden box and shipped himself north to escape slavery. After a grueling 37-hour journey, he emerged out of the box a free man in Philadelphia. The life of contemporary Philadelphian Kenny Gamble, the music producer who created the soul rhythms known as “The Philadelphia Sound” with partner Leon Huff, is also in the story rotation. Independence After Hours, a twilight tour of Independence Hall, addresses the role of free Africans during Colonial times. (215) 629-4026, www.historicphiladelphia.org
• Thanks to the Pennsylvania-wide Quest for Freedom program, visitors can follow in the footsteps of enslaved freedom seekers and discover the story of Philadelphia’s early African-American community. Self-guided tours explore stops along the Underground Railroad and delve into the historical struggle of African-Americans to gain equality. The tour includes stops at the future site of the President’s House Commemorative Site, as well as Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded by Reverend Richard Allen as the mother church of the nation’s first black denomination. Mother Bethel sits on the oldest parcel of land continuously owned by African-Americans and includes a former church structure that doubled as a hostel for escaped enslaved Africans traveling the Underground Railroad. 419 S. 6^th Street, (215) 925-0616, www.motherbethel.org, www.gophila.com/questforfreedom
• Philly Noir, part of the SoundAboutPhilly® podcast series, 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 talks about a local venue that plays a pivotal part in the combined experience that makes up Philadelphia’s authentic flavor. Philly Noir features distinctive and varied voices of business owners, pastors, musicians and everyday, in-the-know residents. www.soundaboutphilly.com

• A statue on the grounds of City Hall, blocks away from Historic Philadelphia, 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 organized baseball. Catto was assassinated at the age of 32 on Election Day, October 10, 1871, as he advocated for voting rights for African-Americans. The memorial dedication is scheduled for 2009.
• Just steps away from the Liberty Bell Center on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, the President’s House Commemorative Site will honor the people who lived and worked in the nation’s former Executive Mansion, including John Adams, George Washington and at least nine enslaved Africans held by Washington. The permanent outdoor installation will be an acknowledgement of the philosophical battles that took place on this land over the status of free Africans and the history of slavery. Once completed in 2010, the President’s House Commemorative Site will be the latest addition to the Historic Philadelphia attractions that chronicle the African-American experience through history.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery.

CONTACT:

Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com

Related RSS Feeds

Topic	XML Feeds
What's New This feed will be updated whenever any new content is added to Gophila.com’s Press Room. It includes all topics.