Instructor

A contemporary artist's rendition of the destruction of Pennsylvania Hall helped raise awareness of the crime and the attacks against abolitionists in Philadelphia that peaked in 1842.

Antislavery and Abolition in Philadelphia: Emancipation and the Long Struggle for Racial Justice in the City of Brotherly Love - Click the link below for more info about this book

More Info

Antislavery and Abolition in Philadelphia: Emancip

Book

The Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society built Pennsylvania Hall and dedicated the building on May 14, 1838. The building hosted a three-day convention of the city's female abolitionists, but before the end of the meeting, a mob had assembled to disrupt the meeting and attack the women for their opposition to slavery. Although Pennsylvania passed laws providing for the gradual end of slavery in their own state shortly after the American Revolution, many white residents of the city believed that the abolitionists were encouraging Black migration to the area. They also believed that abolitionists were to blame for the growing political strife between the North and the South. The mob grew extremely violent by the third day of the meeting, encouraged by members of the police who seemed to countenance the violence against abolitionists and their property. On May 17th, only three days after the dedication of the building, the anti-abolitionist mob set fire to Pennsylvania Hall and attacked anyone who tried to save the building. 

Burning of Pennsylvania Hall in Anti-Abolitionist Riot of 1838

This heritage trail begins on Philadelphia's Lombard Street with churches and other landmarks along with historical markers, that commemorate the lives of Frederick Douglass, Billie Holiday, businessman Jacob C. White, writer Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, and many others. The tour moves east before turning north and winding through several neighborhoods (the first half of the trail is perfect for walking while the second half would require a car). Together, the two halves of the tour include numerous landmarks, sculptures, historic churches, and several museums and institutions dedicated to preserving and sharing African American history.

Black hotel workers in Philadelphia founded this benevolent organization around 1883 to provide health care for workers in their industry. The group grew out of an effort of a few workers on the 200 block of Juniper Street who gathered to raise money for medical expenses for a coworker. It was one of the first trade organizations in the hotel industry, and become one of the largest. Additionally, it was one of the earliest trade organizations representing Black hotel workers and addressing pay inequality and other forms of discrimination, the organization has long ties to civil rights activism and has hosted keynote addresses from prominent leaders such as the late Julian Bond. The organization operated as a benevolent and mutual aid society, and chapters of the group were founded in other US cities. The organization has resided at this location since 1906. As the organization's focus expanded to include other trades, it adopted the name Bainbridge Club in the 1980s. In 2016, the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office placed a historic marker in front of the building to commemorate the organization.

Black hotel workers in Philadelphia founded this benevolent organization in the early 1880s to provide health care and aid for workers in their industry. Hotel Brotherhood USA was one of the first trade organizations in the hotel industry, and it soon became one of the largest. The organization was also one of the earliest trade organizations representing Black workers, with members and officers working to address pay inequality and other forms of discrimination. In its early years, the organization operated as a benevolent and mutual aid society, and chapters of the group were founded in other US cities. The organization has been headquartered at this location since 1906, and its current clubhouse was completed in 1924 and was recently remodeled along with an upstairs ballroom that is available for rent. 

Hotel Brotherhood USA and the Bainbridge Club

Nathan Francis Mossell grew up in Lockhart, New York and was the son of a bricklayer. He was encouraged to finish high school and attended Lincoln University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1882 becoming one of the university’s first African American graduates. Despite his high honors and awards, many hospitals refused to train African American interns, graduated medical doctors, because of their race. Mossell therefore interned in London, England before returning to Philadelphia where he practiced medicine in white-serving hospitals for 10 years. He then decided to remedy the lack of medical support for the Black community of Philadelphia as well as provide an institution that would train and educate Black nurses and interns by establishing the Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital. 		The Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital was originally located at 1512 Lombard street, but went on to expand to 1532 and 1534 Lombard Street. It included maternity, emergency, and operating wards for both inpatient and outpatient treatment, was in possession of X-ray machines, and had pathological and histological laboratories. 31 operations were performed in the first year, 3 women gave birth in the maternity ward, and there were only five patients who died while admitted, none of whose deaths were attributed to surgery. Close to the beginning of its development, the American College of Surgeons listed it as a certified hospital, and the Philadelphia Federation of Charities included it on its list of approved hospitals.  		The funding for the hospital primary came from government funding and private donations, as it did not impose medical costs onto any patient seeking treatment; if a patient had the ability to pay their bill they were encouraged to do so, but if they could not, they were not indebted to the hospital in any way. About 30% of patients who sought treatment were unable to pay for their expenses and the cost of their treatments were then deferred to outside funding, which was frequently too minimal to cover all the hospital’s costs. Consequently, when hospital inspection and standardization increased during the 1920s, the Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital found itself in increasing debt. The Great Depression catalyzed the financial troubles of the institution and throughout the 1930s and early 40s the hospital struggled to meet inspection codes and keep its technology up to date. The issue of low funds was also catalyzed by the increasing number of patients seeking care who could not pay for their treatments. 		To compound the financial struggles of the institution, its license to train medical interns, administered by the Pennsylvania State Board of Medical Education and Licensure, was revoked. To try and remedy its financial troubles and bolster its reputation, the Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital merged with Mercy Hospital, another Black-run institution in 1948. The facilities were consolidated at 50th Woodland Avenue which housed 50 beds. The school for nurses was reestablished and there was more room for development than the previous location. However, despite the attempt to revitalize the values established and exercised by the Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital and Dr. Nathan Mossell, the Mercy-Douglass Hospital was, like its predecessors, unable to maintain its facilities and supplies while providing free/reduced care to its patients. The institution closed in 1973, signaling the official end of the first African American inclusive hospital in Philadelphia.

The Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital was founded by Dr. Nathan Francis Mossell, M.D. (1856-1946) in 1895. It was created to provide affordable/free healthcare for the city’s population, though it primarily catered towards African Americans who were frequently denied care by other hospital systems because their race. The hospital also served as a training center for Black nurses and interns who were denied teaching by other institutions. The Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital merged with Mercy Hospital, another African American serving hospital, in 1948 to form the Mercy-Douglass Hospital. The Mercy-Douglass Hospital was closed in 1973 due to financial issues. 

Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, more and more African Americans were joining Methodist churches. However, they often faced discrimination and were sometimes barred from attending worship services. As a result, many established their own Methodist congregations. Here in Philadelphia, in 1816 African American minister Richard Allen, who founded Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church in 1794, established the African Methodist Episcopal Church as an independent Methodist denomination (Mother Bethel is the oldest A.M.E. church in the country). He was also elected as its first bishop. In 1820, a group of around 30 disaffected members from Mother Bethel decided to form their own congregation. After worshipping in three locations over the next six weeks, they bought a former carpenter shed and met there during the construction of their church. It was finished in 1821 and they remained there until 1821 when they acquired an existing brick church. The present church was built in 1926. As noted above, in 1821 Wesley joined the A.M.E. Zion denomination in 1821 with a group of five other churches. The denomination grew significantly over the coming decades, rising to nearly 350,000 by 1896. Wesley has a long history of helping the community and supporting social causes. During the Great Depression, Wesley struggled financially but managed to provide services to poor residents in the area. One example of note is its success in providing food to 34,000 people in the winter of 1932-1933. It also gave shoes and clothing, owned a nearby apartment building where people could live for free, and paid health insurance premiums. In 1952, Wesley, which was led by Rev. Alfred G. Dunston at the time, led a campaign to boycott certain businesses in the city. As a result, those businesses were forced to hire black residents for higher paying jobs. Wesley also provided funds to support the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted from December 5, 1955 to December 20, 1956. In the early 1960s, Rev. Dunston and other pastors started a job training program for black residents called the Opportunities Industrialization Center.

Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church is a leading African-American church in Philadelphia founded in 1820. Its nickname is "Big Wesley" for the significant role it has played in improving the lives of the city's black residents throughout its history, from hosting anti-slavery meetings in the 1800s, to actively supporting the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, and to fighting for social justice and economic equality today. Wesley belongs to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, which is a Christian denomination established in 1821 (Wesley was originally called the First Colored Wesley Methodist Church of Philadelphia before changing its name to its current one in 1821). Architecturally, the church is an imposing Gothic stone structure built in 1926. It features a corner bell tower and several stained glass windows with tracery including a large one above the three main entrance doorways. Wesley was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church

Billie Holiday was born under the name Eleanora Fagan on April 7,1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her parents are Sarah Julia "Sadie" Fagan and Clarence Halliday. Her father, Clarence Halliday, also known as Clarence "Holiday", was a professional jazz musician for the Fletcher Henderson band. However, shortly after Billie was born, Clarence left his family to pursue his career as a musician and Billie moved to Baltimore, Maryland where she was raised by her mother. During this time period Billie Holiday was faced with a difficult childhood. She was left to spend much of her childhood alone and at the age of eleven Billie Holiday dropped out of school in order to help her mother with her restaurant that she had just opened.1 Eventually, Holiday and her mother moved to Harlem, New York. However, shortly after the move her mother was arrested for prostitution and Holiday herself was a victim of sex trafficking before the age of fourteen.2In order to make ends meet, as a young teen in 1929, Holiday began working various jobs to support herself but eventually found a job performing at a Harlem nightclub.3 She originally was looking for work as a dancer at a Harlem club called Pod's and Jerry's however, when there were no openings for a dancer she decided to try singing.2 Even though Holiday never received formal singing lessons, she was said to have had natural instincts when it came to music.3 Her audition impressed the owner so much that he gave her the job.This marked the starting point of Holiday's career and lead to her performing at various Harlem jazz clubs.2 She partnered with saxophone player, Kenneth Hollan, and they performed together from 1929-1931 at clubs such as Pod's and Jerry's, Grey Dawn and Brooklyn Elk's Club. During this time, she took her professional name, Billie Holiday, which was inspired by both her favorite actress, Billie Dove, and her father's performing name, "Holiday".1In 1933, Holiday had her first break through when producer, John Hammond, watched one of her performances at a New York club called Covan's. Hammond was so impressed by Holiday's music talents stating, "Her singing almost changed my music tastes and my musical life, because she was the first girl singer I'd come across who actually sang like an improvising jazz genius."1 Throughout the decade with Hammond's help, Holiday was able to start working with various famous jazz musicians such as Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and Duke Ellington. During this time she also worked with a saxophonist, Lester Young, whom was Holiday's close friend and is credited with giving her the famous nickname of "Lady Day."2 In November of 1933, at the age of nineteen, Holiday worked with Benny Goodman and recored her first two songs, "Your Mother's Son-in-Law" and "Riffin' the Scotch."1Holiday continued making music however, in 1939, her career changed when she was introduced to "Strange Fruit", a song based on a poem about racial prejudice and lynching. Holiday stated that she felt such a strong passion to perform this song because it reminded her of how her father passed away after being denied medical treatment as a result of racism. However, the record label she was working for at the time, Columbia Records, found the song to be too controversial. Therefore, she ended up recording it with Commodore Records, and even though it did not get any airtime, Holiday stated that it "became my biggest-selling record." 1After the first performance of the song, "Strange Fruit", Holiday received a warning from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics to never perform the song again however, she refused to obey these demands.5 Holiday's popularity kept increasing and eventually in 1944 she signed with Decca Records. During this time she recorded another hit song, "Lover Man." This song lead to her becoming well known in the pop community and created opportunity for solo performances, which was rare for jazz musicians at this time.1In 1947, Holiday's career as a jazz musician was reaching an all time time. However, on May 16,1947 Billie Holiday was arrested after police had found her with possession of narcotics. On May 27, 1947, Holiday was sent to court on account of these charges and she stated, "It was called 'The United States of America versus Billie Holiday.' And that's just they way it felt." She plead guilty to the charges which resulted in her being sentenced to Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia. Additionally, she lost the right to her New York City Cabaret Card which meant she could no longer perform at any venue that served alcohol. On March 16, 1948 Holiday was released from prison before her sentence was finished due to good behavior. 1Holiday's struggles with abusing alcohol and drugs continued throughout the 1950s. This induced not only a decline in her physical health but also had detrimental effects on her ability to perform. In 1959, Billie Holiday was diagnosed with cirrhosis, also known as liver disease and was being treated at Metropolitan Hospital in New York. However, even as she was fighting for her life in the hospital, Holiday's room was raided for drug possession. This final attack against Billie Holiday by The Federal Bureau of Narcotics was said to be done under the order of Harry J. Anslinger, who was said to be an openly racist government official. It is noted that Anslinger had been targeting Holiday ever since her first performance of the controversial song "Strange Fruit."1 The Federal Bureau of Narcotics reportedly found less than one-eighth of an ounce of heroin in her room. As a result they placed her room under strict police supervision, handcuffed her to her hospital bed, and confiscated her personal items such as her record player, comic books, radio, and magazines. They also restricted her ability to receive any visitors. Holiday is said to have not blamed the individual police agents for this treatment instead, she blamed the drug war as it resulted in treating the ill like criminals.4 On July 17, 1959, Billie Holiday died at the age of forty-four due to a pulmonary edema and heart failure.1﻿

Billie Holiday, also known as "Lady Day," is said to be one of the greatest American jazz singers of her time. She stood out in the jazz industry due to her unconventional music styles and improvisation. Although she was faced with many hardships throughout both her life and career, Holiday will always be remembered as a very influential figure in the jazz music industry. She was known to bring life to her music and always performed music the way she wanted to, even if others did not agree. She is best known for her songs "Lover Man" and "Strange Fruit" as well as her many collaborations with various famous jazz musicians. The historical marker located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania serves as a tribute to her accomplishments in the jazz industry.

Billie Holiday Historical Marker

William Still was born on October 7, 1821 in New Jersey; the youngest of 18 children to his parents, former slaves, Levin and Charity Still. Growing up, Still was not provided the resources to a formal education and schooling, so he took on the task of teaching himself how to read and write (1). Little did he know at the time, but this would give him a large advantage and help him in his future civil rights activism and abolitionism. In 1844, Still made the move from New Jersey to Philadelphia, and just three years later in 1847, he would marry his wife Letitia Still and would begin working as a clerk for the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery (2). This is where Still’s abolitionist work would plant its roots. Following the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery developed a Vigilance Committee to combat the act and in 1852, Still was appointed as chair of the committee (3). As chairperson of the committee, Still would begin his journey of helping and providing aid to fugitive slaves by using his house as a stop on the Underground Railroad. He kept extremely detailed records of the estimated 800 slaves passing through his stop on their journey to freedom, which helped him write one of the most well-known and accurate depictions of the Underground Railroad. His book, The Underground Railroad was published in 1872 and is treasured and revered today as, “the single best source of African-American experiences on the Underground Railroad” (4).His book about his experiences working with and supporting the Underground Railroad are where we learn as much as we do about an odd figure from history, Henry 'Box' Brown. He likely stayed at Still's house until finding one of his own and then eventually leaving America entirely. In his long journey from Richmond this may have been the first time he was able to relax and reflect alongside Still. He was free, his injuries treated, he was not performing or speaking publicly here, but simply living. After the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed though, Brown did not feel safe anywhere in America. Whether he was staying with Still the whole time up until then is unclear, but the two men would not cross paths again.Still, despite continuing his abolitionist efforts throughout the entirety of his life, was also a businessman. In 1861, he bought a coal yard and ran a coal delivery business where he became one of the most successful African American businessmen of his time and even owned real estate such as Liberty Hall (2). Still used his wealth from his business ventures to fund his philanthropic missions. In his later life, he continued his efforts of bettering life for the African American community in Philadelphia and became president of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society (4). Featured on his historical marker is how Still helped fund the opening and establishment of the first YMCA for African Americans in Philadelphia, which is still open and operating to this day (2).Still passed away in 1902 due to heart complications, but his efforts and accomplishments will never fade (1). His written works are now on display both digitally and on exhibit at the Temple University Library after his family donated the original copies (5). His legacy will live on forever through the hundreds of African Americans he helped escape to freedom and the countless Black youth he paved a better life for. His written works continue to inspire and provide first-hand experiences of the people who lived through the Underground Railroad and will forever act as priceless artifacts for education. William Still was an incredible example of hard work, persistence, and philanthropy to build better opportunities for those around him and for future generations.

William Still was an active Civil Rights abolitionist in the mid 1800s and was an integral player in helping many slaves escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad. He worked tirelessly in many different ways to better the African American community throughout his entire life. Born the son of former slaves, Still's passion for freedom and justice was rooted deep within him. Still taught himself to read and write which furthered his work as an abolitionist and he published works speaking out against the injustices placed upon the African American community. Often referred to as the Father of the Underground Railroad, Still's historical land-marker is placed in front of his home at 244 S. 12th Street in Philadelphia which served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for many years.

William Still: Pennsylvania Historical Marker (Also briefly the home of Henry 'Box' Brown)

Born in 1837, Jacob C. White Jr. grew up in Philadelphia, the son of one of the city's most successful Black businessmen. He attended the Quaker-founded Institute For Colored Youth, where African Americans received an extensive liberal arts education. It was there he met Octavius Catto. Both sons of prominent men and outstanding students, White and Catto became best friends and after graduation, both would teach at the Institute.1In 1864, White became Philadelphia's first African American principal after being appointed to the position at the all-Black Vaux elementary school. He made an immediate impact on the school and established himself as a civic leader. That same year he and Catto helped start the Pennsylvania Equal Rights League to advance the Black suffrage movement.2Later, in 1867, the two friends would found the Pythians Baseball Club of Philadelphia. The Pythians were an all-Black team modeled on the successful white baseball clubs of the day. Beyond just being a sporting club, they were a social organization and their games were heavily attended community events, generally followed by large banquets. These all-day affairs served as meeting places for prominent Black leaders to discuss the political issues of the time.3 White served as the team's secretary, often arranging their games, and sometimes as manager. Catto played second base.Following Catto's politically motivated murder in 1871, the Pythians ceased to exist. White would continue to play an important role in Philadelphia's African American community, advocating for better educational opportunities for children and jobs for Black teachers. In the 1890s, he would help start the American Negro Historical Society and bequeathed to them his extensive records of Pythians, which he had preserved for over 20 years.4

This historical marker is placed where the residence of prominent African American educator, businessman, and baseball player Jacob C. White, Jr. (1837-1902) once stood. In 1868, White, along with his lifelong friend Octavius Catto, founded the one of the city's most important all-Black baseball clubs, the Pythians, which became the best black team in the country. It was also the first to beat an all-white team.

Jacob C. White, Jr. Historical Marker

Born into slavery in Natchez, Mississippi, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, was an exceedingly well-known, self-taught African American musician. Shortly following her birth around 1819, Greenfield was emancipated. Along with her family and other former slaves, Elizabeth Taylor was formerly owned by Elizabeth Halliday Greenfield; Elizabeth Halliday was “a white Philadelphian with Welsh roots who had married into the plantocracy.” [1] Elizabeth Taylor relocated to Philadelphia with her mistress and adopted her mistress’s last name, whereas her parents emigrated to Liberia, a country in West Africa. After they resettled in Philadelphia, Elizabeth Taylor was encouraged by Halliday to indulge in her musical ability. Not only did Taylor have natural singing abilities, but she constantly studied to learn about her passion. Even after Halliday’s death in 1845, she continued to prosper in her musical realms. A few years later in 1851, “Elizabeth Greenfield gave her first public performances, in Buffalo, NY,” and not long after “she made a concert tour of several cities, including Boston and Chicago.” [5]	Greenfield’s rise to fame significantly contributed to closing the racial generalizations that coincided with vocal ability. Around 1852, Greenfield performed Jenny Lind’s repertoire; Lind was an opera singer from Sweden. While Lind’s performance was highly applauded, white elite critics labeled Greenfield’s singing as “noise.” [3] During the nineteenth century, many critics and audiences categorized singing voices as either “Black” or “white.” Greenfield appeared and performed in numerous white performance areas and gained support from innumerable wealthy, white men. White elite critics feared that Greenfield’s voice was “white,” and they feared her singing ability to “vocally pass and potentially best Lind.” [3] The critics trained listeners to decipher and categorize singing voices by race. On the other hand, some critics were moved by Greenfield's voice and performance, but their opinions changed once they saw her appearance. [4] However, Greenfield’s voice made this distinction difficult to interpret; her voice, “worked to decolonize listening and create alternative experiences of Blackness away from and in resistance to the listening ear.” [3] This where Greenfield obtained her nickname, the "Black Swan."	Through her voice and performances, Greenfield advocated for abolition and spoke out against slavery. In 1854, Taylor attended the National Women’s Rights Convention where she performed anti-slavery songs and other proclaimed anti-slavery speeches. Before this event, Greenfield “previously sung at a fundraising benefit for Shiloh Baptist Church in 1853.” [1] Many were unaware of Greenfield’s ties to slavery and were shocked to learn she was previously a slave. At both of these events, through her songs, Greenfield revealed her political views. Similarly, when Greenfieldreceived the opportunity to perform for Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace in 1854, she conveyed her viewpoints. One particular song that Greenfield sung for the Queen was titled, “The Vision of the Negro Slave.” [1] The content of this song, “is strikingly similar to the scene of Tom’s death in Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” which exhibits the cruel punishment slaves endured. [1] Once Greenfield publicly displayed her political and social beliefs, she continued to incorporate and proclaim her support for anti-slavery laws throughout her recitals.	Greenfield also focused her efforts on the “longstanding porosity of the US-Canadian Border for Black Native Americans.” [4] Being the first-ever Black woman to perform professionally on stage in Canada, Greenfield was able to expand her anti-slavery beliefs beyond domestic borders. While in Canada, or in the Us-Canadian border states, she performed her songs that consisted of an anti-slavery agenda. A Brief Memoir of the “Black Swan” begins with, “genius belongs especially to no country, nation, race, or colour.The gift of Providence—it is scattered over the world.” [6] This idea of equality amongst all is conveyed throughout Greenfield’s “Black Swan”, which is a song she performed numerous times at numerous locations.

Viewed as one of the greatest musicians of her time, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was an exceptional, well-known African American singer. Although Greenfield was born into slavery, she was emancipated not long after her birth. With the support of her former owner and dedicating her time to studying and learning, Greenfield excelled in her musical abilities. Once Greenfield gained popularity, she advocated for anti-slavery and equality laws through her voice and numerous performances.

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield Historic Marker

Engine Company No. 11 was organized in 1871 at 1016 South Street in Philadelphia. [2] Company 11 was just like any other until its history changed forever on April 13, 1886, when Isaac Jacobs was hired as the first African American firefighter in Philadelphia. [1] Jacobs was a firefighter in its loosest term as he was not granted permission to go out with the other men and fight fires. [1] Instead, his duty was originally to be a hoseman but he was demoted for an unknown reason to taking care of the companies horses. [1] This probably explains why Jacobs only stayed at Station 11 until 1891. Luckily, Company 11 switched to a full-paid station in 1970, which means that Jacobs too was the first paid African American firefighter, making his short time at the company worth it. [1]Not long after Jacobs left the company, the second African American firefighter was appointed on June 8, 1891. [1] Stephen Presco was originally assigned to Engine 17 but 35 days later he was moved to Engine 11 where he was granted the ability to go out and fight fires with the rest of the men, unlike Jacobs. [1] Unfortunately, Presco is historical to the company in a much somber manner, as he was the first African American firefighter to be killed in the line of duty. [3] In 1907, Presco along with 2/3 of the Philadelphia Fire Department responded to a fire at J. Stern &amp; Sons factory on Filbert Street. [1] Engine 11 quickly discovered that their ladders were too short to reach the blaze on the sixth floor and Presco and four other men began to climb the fire escape when it ultimately collapsed and injured them all. [1] Presco was taken to Jefferson Hospital where he suffered fractured ribs, contusions, and internal injuries which lead to his death later that same day. [1] From then on, Presco was known as the "Fireman's Fireman" at Engine 11 for his selfless duties. [1]Not long after Presco's death, Engine 11 appointed their third African American firefighter on April 10, 1907, William "Bill" Sheaf. [4] From Joseph Marshall's account of his short three months with Sheaf, he claims that Sheaf was highly respected by his fellow members of the company and even his white superiors. [4] Sheaf ended up passing away on February 24, 1924, Marshall's birthday. [4] Though along with Sheaf's appointment came three more unnamed meant that were appointed to Engine 11 between 1907 and 1918. [1] In 1919, the city of Philadelphia ordered that fire departments move to a two-platoon system, which meant that there would now be two shifts of men rather than one. [1] This created platoon A and platoon B at Engine 11, which meant each man worked three 10 hour days with 24 hours off, followed by three 14 hour nights. [1] This implementation was resourceful in terms of the men's workload but also meant that they needed to hire a lot more men immediately, 13 more men were hired and brought the companies count of African American firefighters to 17. [1]With a large presence of African American men in the company at this time, some of the surviving men felt as though their white comrades were treating them poorly and some felt they were treated equally. [1] Marshall remembers him and the other men being treated fairly,"We were treated fine. No problems, no problems. Because, you know, firefighting, firefighting is a very dangerous game, and you don't play when the fire's going out. [1]"One of Marshall's fellow firemen, Clarence Brogdan, who joined Engine 11 after 1945, felt much differently about their treatment than Marshall. He remembers being on the fireground actively trying to put a fire out and having their hose kinked by the white men, which of course put them in a dangerous situation. [1] Which, dangerous situations were not uncommon for these men as they were often placed on the downwind side of fires where they would be inhaling smoke while fighting fires. [1] This is how the men received the nickname 'Leather Lungs", their perseverance in terms of fighting fire while often put in the least desirable situations. [1]The issue of overstaffing had been an issue across Philadelphia all the way back to 1938, to the extent that men were being sworn in with more men than vacant spots to be filled. [1] The city's local paper, The Tribune had begun making recommendations on how to mitigate the problem to the new Chairman of the Republican City Commission, William Meade Jr. [1] It was after that, that rumors started to circulate about how Meade was going to create two new African American firehouses, Engine 1 and 27. One week later on February 19, 1949, The Tribune had on its front page, "Fire Department Ends Jim-Crow; Organizes Six Mixed Companies. [5]" This meant that men were able to transfer between companies to be closer to home, which many of them were not. [1] The desegregation was not something that could happen overnight but did happen within 4 years, on February 17, 1953, The Tribune proudly published "All-Negro Engine Co. 11 Ended. [1]" Today, the original 1016 South Street location is known as the Willie G. Williams Community Center, providing a multitude of services to the surrounding community as it once did back in 1871. [6] At the new location of Engine 11 located on 601 South Street, you can find the Mapping Courage mural which honors W.E.B Dubois and Engine 11 done by artist Willis "Nomo" Humphrey. [7]

From 1919 to 1953 existed Philadelphia's only all-Black segregated fire department. The brave men who served with Engine Company No. 11 were known to the public and company as the 'leather lungs'. Working alongside their white superiors, the leather lungs were more often than not, placed in the most dangerous of situations when fighting fires. On February 17, 1953, segregation had officially been ruled to end within the fire department due to overstaffing within Engine Company No. 11 and other surrounding departments. The desegregation prompted the creation of six new mixed fire departments in the area. Since the desegregation, the original Engine Company No. 11 fire station building and the brave men who worked for the station have been memorialized through murals, mosaic pieces, and a Pennsylvania landmark plaque.

Engine Company No. 11

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was born on September 24, 1825 in Baltimore, Maryland and was the daughter of two free African Americans. She was a women of many skills as she grew up to be a historic poet, fiction writer, journalist , activist, as well as a few more trades. Harper would come to be a highly valued and influential speaker at various events during the fight for civil rights, women's rights, and educational opportunities for all. Furthermore, Frances EW Harper had written various pieces of literature that were quite meaningful because she had used them to express the experiences of her and other African Americans at the time. At the age of three, Frances had lost both of her parents and was forced to move in and be raised by her aunt and uncle, Henrietta and William Watkins. William Watkins had been an active abolitionist who was practicing self taught medicine, organized a Black literary society, and even opened up his own school in 1820 called the Watkins Academy for Negro Youth. Frances grew up following her uncle's actions, learning from what he did to fight for civil rights, all while also attending the Watkins Academy until the age of thirteen. During her times, it was normal for one to join the workforce at this age so Harper had begun to work as a nursemaid and seamstress for a Quaker household who owned a bookshop where the teenager would deeper explore in her love of literature. At age twenty-six, Frances EW Harper had decided to began teaching. She first took a job at the Union Seminary in Ohio where she became the first woman instructor there and then after a year she moved to a school in York, Pennsylvania. During this time, Harper's home state of Maryland passed a law that any free African American living in the North were no longer allowed to enter the state with punishment of being sold as a slave, causing Harper not to be able to return to her home. Due to this she decided to dedicate her life to the anti slavery cause. She created a career being a traveling speaker for the fight for civil rights while at the same time helping slaves escape through the Underground Railroad and writing many novels and poems about her experiences. Frances EW Harper's pieces of literature came to be historic over time as the effect they had on society showed as time went on. She began to write a lot of poetry for antislavery newspapers as her poem "Eliza Harris" was published in The Liberator, and also in Fredrick Douglass's Paper. Harper's short story "The Two Offers" was also the first published novel by an African American. She was hired by a few organizations to become a traveling lecturer and speaker including the Maine Anti-Slavery Society and Pennsylvania Anti Slavery Society. Harper's fight was not only for civil rights as she was an active activist for women's rights and the temperance movement. In 1866, Harper gave one of her most famous speeches at the National Women's Rights Convention in New York called "We Are All Bound Up Together". Harper continued to spend the rest of her career fighting for equal rights, equal opportunities for school and work, and education for African American women. She co-founded and became vice president of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, was superintendent of Colored Section of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Women's Christian Temperance Union, the director of the American Association of Colored Youth, and lastly a member of the American Women's Suffrage Association. After collecting all of these accolades, she settled down in her home in Philadelphia but never stopped fighting for what she believed in.

This historic Philadelphia home is where poet, fiction writer, journalist, and activist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper spent her later years and the location where she passed away on February 22, 1911. Born in Baltimore in 1825, she was the only child of free African American parents. After growing up in difficult conditions, she embarked on a career as a traveling speaker on the abolitionist circuit. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper also helped slaves escape through the Underground Railroad and wrote frequently for anti-slavery newspapers. As a journalist and activist, she worked with Frederick Douglass and other reformers, earning a reputation for her writing which led some to refer to her as the "mother" of African American journalism. The house has since been named a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public during special events. 

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper House

William Still (1821-1902) moved to Philadelphia in 1844 and worked with the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society. He chaired the group's Vigilance Committee and organized Underground Railroad efforts both within the city and across the country. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required Northern states to assist in the recapture of people who had escaped slavery; it was during this time that Still and his wife Letitia (1821-1906), whom he married in 1847, protected hundreds of those very individuals. William and Letitia Still rented this row house as their home and used it to shelter hundreds of fugitives and guides, including Harriet Tubman, as a way station on the Underground Railroad. Still also kept extensive journals and a "passenger manifest," which he kept hidden until after the Civil War. He later wrote a lengthy account of his work freeing enslaved people, the 800-page The Underground Railroad (1872), one of the only accounts written by Black abolitionists. While some parts of the building are significantly different from their appearance in the 1850s, particularly due to a renovation in 1920, the stoop appears to be the same one where the Stills, Tubman, and those they helped to free stepped into the house. The Stills lived here from 1850 to 1855, an a historical marker commemorating William Still stands near a different house where they later lived in the city. James Duffin of the Keeping Society of Philadelphia identified the house from an 1851 newspaper ad for dressmaking by Letitia Still and an 1854 entry in McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory for William Still which both listed the Stills' address as the Ronaldson Street address that is now S. Delhi Street. The Philadelphia Register of Historic Places recognized the house and Underground Railroad Way Station in 2018, protecting the property from demolition or significant alteration without permission from the Philadelphia Historical Commission.

The child of formerly enslaved parents, William Still (1821-1902) dedicated his life to the abolition of slavery and protection of fugitives from slavery. His house at 625 South Delhi Street (then called Ronaldson Street) in Philadelphia was a stop on the Underground Railroad from 1850 to 1855. As chair of the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society's Vigilance Committee, Still organized Underground Railroad efforts in the city and further afield. After the abolition of slavery, he wrote an extensive book on the Underground Railroad. In 2017-2018, preservationists positively identified the house as one of the places Still and his wife Letitia (1821-1906) had lived and sheltered those who had escaped slavery. The Keeping Society of Philadelphia nominated the site to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

William and Letitia Still Underground Railroad Way Station

The Institute for Colored Youth was founded by Quaker Richard Humphreys who arrived in&nbsp;Philadelphia in the late 1700s, Humphreys found the social and political conditions faced by African Americans in the early United States violated his&nbsp;Quaker beliefs in equality. As the first major American religious denomination to condemn slavery,&nbsp;Quakers increasingly supported efforts to provide&nbsp;educational opportunities for free people of color and former slaves.&nbsp;Humphreys was particularly concerned by the difficulty African Americans faced when seeking employment&nbsp;in Philadelphia given the absence of educational opportunities. While the color line was not legally established, few schools were open to&nbsp;African Americans which created&nbsp;a cycle of poverty that was nearly inescapable.&nbsp;In his will, Humphreys requested thirteen of his fellow faithful to use a large fraction of his estate to found an educational institution, the purpose of which was “to instruct the descendants of the African Race in school learning, in the various branches of the mechanic Arts, trades and Agriculture, in order to prepare and fit and qualify them to act as teachers…” This school was established in 1837 and later became Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.The Institute was founded by Humphreys fellows in 1837 under the name “the African Institute,” with classes taking place in a farmhouse on Old York Road. Within the year, the school was renamed to the Institute for Colored Youth. In 1846, the farm school closed, and the Institute temporarily became an evening school on Barclay St. The school reopened as a daytime school at Seventh and Lombard.&nbsp;During the school’s stay on Lombard, it began accepting men and women alike as students, with the first female professor, Grace A. Mapps, being hired in 1852. &nbsp;After 1852, the Institute purchased a number of buildings across South Philadelphia, including the Samuel J. Randall School in 1861. The Samuel J. Randall School would serve as the home of the Institute for Colored Youth until 1902, at which point the Institute moved to Cheyney, Pennsylvania.&nbsp;The Institute later changed its name to Cheyney University. Given Cheyney's origins as a school established in 1837, Cheyney celebrates its unique history as the oldest&nbsp;institution of higher education for African Americans in&nbsp;the United States.&nbsp;

This was the historic location of one of America’s most influential historic schools, The Institute for Colored Youth, predecessor to Cheyney University. In 1902, the Institute secured a new location at a farm in Cheyney and this building became home to the Samuel J. Randall School.   The Institute was established by Quakers and became one of the first schools in the United States devoted to the education of Black youth. Many of the graduates of the Institute for Colored Youth became leaders in the fight to abolish slavery leading up to the Civil War. Later graduates led efforts to establish legal and political equality for African Americans in the 19th century. 

The Institute for Colored Youth (1837) and  Samuel J. Randall School (1902)

Born in 1839 in Charleston, SC, Octavius Valentine Catto was raised in Philadelphia, the son of a prominent local minister. &nbsp;He attended the Quaker-founded&nbsp;Institute For Colored Youth, where he met Jacob C. White. &nbsp;Following his graduation, Catto continued his studies in classical languages in Washington D.C. before ultimately returning to Philadelphia to teach&nbsp;literature, mathematics, Greek, and Latin at the Institute For Colored Youth.1&nbsp; Already a political leader, in&nbsp;1866 Catto was on a panel representing the Equal Rights League that successfully lobbied the state to desegregate Philadelphia's streetcars. &nbsp;The following year, Catto and his old friend White founded the Pythians Baseball Club of Philadelphia, an all-Black team modeled on&nbsp;their white counterparts. &nbsp;The Pythians were a social and sporting organization and their games were&nbsp;community events, generally followed by large banquets and attended by large crowds. &nbsp;These all-day affairs served as meeting places for prominent Black leaders to discuss the political issues of the time.2 Catto served as the Pythians shortstop and manager. &nbsp;In 1867, the team compiled a record of 8-3-1 playing against all-Black clubs in other cities like Baltimore, Harrisburg, Camden and Washington D.C., and filed an application to join the Pennsylvania Association of Amateur Base Ball Players. &nbsp;Despite being nominated by the all-white Philadelphia Athletics, the Pythians were rebuffed and withdrew their application.3 &nbsp;Later that year the National Association of Base Ball Players, the closest thing baseball had to a governing body at the time,&nbsp;would pass a rule prohibiting teams with minority members from gaining membership. &nbsp;Despite this setback, the Pythians would continue on for several years. &nbsp;In 1869, they became the first all-Black to take the field against an all-white squad, falling to the Olympics 44-23, before rebounding two weeks later with a victory over the all-white City Item team. In 1870 Catto shifted his attention to politics. &nbsp;Congress passed the 15th Amendment to the Constitution granting Black men the right to vote. &nbsp;This issue faced violent opposition from the Democratic leadership in Philadelphia, and Catto was assassinated in the street in the fall of 1871. &nbsp;He was 32. &nbsp;Catto's funereal was the largest the city had ever seen for an African American, as a&nbsp;procession of soldiers, elected officials, students, and Pythians escorted Catto's body to the Mount Lebanon&nbsp;Cemetery4, where his body&nbsp;was laid to rest.

Pennsylvania state historical marker placed at the former residence of the great African American activist, educator and sportsman Octavius V. Catto (1839-71).  In addition to co-founding the Pythians baseball club of Philadelphia, one of the most successful and historically significant all-Black teams of their time, Catto spearheaded the movement that led to the racial integration of streetcars in Philadelphia and worked to help African Americans gain the right to vote with the passage of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution in 1870.  During a time of violent unrest shortly before the fall 1871 elections in Philadelphia, Catto was murdered in the street, a victim of a politically motivated assassination.    

Octavius V. Catto Historical Marker

The Institute of Colored Youth (ICY)&nbsp;owned Liberty Hall in this location in Philadelphia. In the early 19th century,&nbsp;ICY was connected to the African Americans struggle for social freedom and economic status. It was one of the first schools to train young colored people skilled trades and teaching. One of the most famous students (and instructor)&nbsp;who attended the school was Octavius V. Catto. Not only was Catto a student and instructor at ICY, he was also a huge civil-rights activist, who helped find the first Philly all Black baseball club, the Pythians. He was the manager and star-player of the team. During the winter and off-season, the Pythians would meet in the second floor of Liberty Hall (their Headquarters)&nbsp;to discuss ways to strengthen the team. They would have meetings and other planned events in this very building.&nbsp;Catto always&nbsp;helped come up with ideas to improve the teams skills for the playing season. Today, neither Liberty Hall nor the main ICY building remain. The land where Liberty Hall once stood is now occupied by residential buildings.&nbsp;In 1902, the Institute for Colored Youth relocated to the farm of George Cheyney, about twenty-five miles west of its original location. The institute&nbsp;grew into a teacher's college in the 1920s&nbsp;and continues today as&nbsp;Cheyney&nbsp;University of Philadelphia, a state-supported university&nbsp;with an international student body. A plaque on Bainbridge Street honors the history of the original institute.&nbsp;

Liberty Hall was a building belonging to the Institute for Colored Youth.The building was used as the headquarters for the first all Black Philadelphia baseball club, the Pythians, in 1867. The team had meetings and planned events here.The building is no longer standing today. However, there is a plaque elsewhere in Philly, dedicated to the Institute for Colored Youth. 

Liberty Hall at the Institute for Colored Youth

W.E.B. Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He attended Fisk University in 1885 in Nashville, Tennessee. This was where he first encountered the Jim Crow laws. In 1895, he became the first African American to earn a Ph. D. from Harvard University. He married one of his students, Nina Gomer, in 1896 and was hired as professor at Atlanta University in 1897. The Souls of Black Folk, a collection of 14 essays, was published by Du Bois in 1903. In 1909, Du Bois co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The Crisis, NAACP's first issue, was published in 1910. In 1951, he was indicted and tried by the federal government as a foreign agent and in 1961, Du Bois joined the Communist Party and went to Ghana. Du Bois died in Ghana on August 27, 1963. The W.E.B. Du Bois historical marker was dedicated to him on October, 29, 1995.As stated above, W.E.B Du Bois co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The mission of this association is to "ensure the political and educational equality of minority group citizens of States and eliminate race prejudice" (NAACP, 2021). A group of white liberals and some 60 people issued and signed the call to end racial justice. The NAACP allowed for a period of growth to occur and many rights to be granted to people of color, including the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. While this association has undergone some criticism, it is still pushing forward today and involves the new millennium.Throughout his lifetime, this historian and writer wrote 21 books and articles. W.E.B Du Bois' most famous book is The Souls of Black Folk which was published in 1903. It was a collection of 14 essays. These essays disputed the main principle of Booker T. Washington’s political program. Washington's principle was that voting and civil rights were less important to Black progress. He wanted African Americans to give up political power, insistence on civil rights, and higher education. "In The Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois used the term 'double consciousness', applying it to the idea that Black people must have two fields of vision at all times. They must be conscious of how they view themselves, as well as being conscious of how the world views them" (Wikipedia, 2021). This book impacted the consciousness of both white and Black individuals and allowed for the change that needed to occur across the nation.W.E.B Du Bois led a very successful life as he has been a part of the many factors that provided equality to African Americans. He felt the repercussions of living in a time where being a person of color was not accepted. This inspired him to be a part of the change that needed to occur across the nation. The impact that he made regarding his many publications and the co-founding of the NAACP allowed for him to create a lasting legacy on the entire nation, especially people of color. To recognize this legacy, a historical marker has been placed in Philadelphia, PA and dedicated to him.

The Philadelphia Historical Commission erected this historical marker in 1995 to honor the life of one of the country's leading 20th century African American intellectuals and co-founder of the NAACP, W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963), who, from 1896-1897, lived in a house that once stood at this location. During that time he conducted research for his sociological study called "The Philadelphia Negro," which was published in 1899.

W.E.B. Du Bois Historical Marker

Several factors contributed to the increasing racial tensions in Philadelphia during the 1830s and 1840s. The population surged from 161,410 to 388,721 as a result of rapid industrialization, which attracted people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds to the city including Irish immigrants and African Americans (the black population increased from 6,880 in 1800 to 15,625 in 1830). The city was ill-prepared to cope with this influx of new residents who settled in various municipalities outside of the original city limits. Competition for jobs between groups rose and black residents became increasingly vocal about their support of abolitionism. Other factors included the stripping away the right to vote for free blacks and the beginning of an economic depression in 1837 (called the Panic of 1837). It should also be noted that Irish immigrants faced discrimination from American Protestants for being Catholic. Both Irish immigrants and African Americans were, in general, among the working class. However, the Irish (and other white residents) thought the black community was becoming middle class at their expense. Physical evidence for this perception were the African American churches and rising black population in the city. In short, the Irish and many others in the white community felt very economically insecure.In the early 1830s, these tensions built up and exploded into a riot in August 1834. On the 11th, a group of whites and blacks got into heated argument about seats on a carousel, which was set up at Seventh and South Streets. However, rumors spread that the African Americans had insulted the whites and, as a result, the carousel was destroyed the next evening. That night, a white mob attacked the Moyamennsing neighborhood, where many African Americans lived, and ransacked homes and businesses. The riot continued for two more days. In the aftermath, two churches and over 30 homes were destroyed. Many residents were beaten as well. The constables tried to stop the violence but there were too few of them. Racial tensions simmered during the next four years and flared again on May 15, 1838 during the opening of the large Pennsylvania Hall, which was newly built by local abolitionists as a meeting hall. The event began on the 14th without incident but a white mob gathered outside it on the 16th and broke the windows as activist Angelina Grimke was lecturing. The meeting ended but the next day a large mob set the building on fire and it burned to the ground. Fire fighters didn't try to stop the fire; they only protected nearby buildings. While sporadic fighting occurred over the next few years, the city was mostly peaceful despite the economic depression that began in 1837. This relative calm ended in 1842 with the Lombard Street Riot.

On August 1, 1842, a white mob of mostly Irish immigrants attacked a parade of around 1,000 African Americans promoting temperance and commemorating the eighth anniversary of the end of slavery in the British Caribbean. The attack sparked a three-day riot during which members of the mob pursued marchers around the city, ransacked black homes in the area, and set an abolitionist meeting hall, several public buildings, and the Second African Presbyterian Church ablaze. The mayor called in 1,000 militia troops to finally put an end to the riot. Few rioters were arrested and those who were convicted received light sentences. The event was the third race riot that occurred within the previous decade (the other two took place in 1834 and 1838.

Lombard Street Riot, 1842

Dating to 1787, the Free African Society was the second mutual aid society dedicated to African-Americans in the United States, after the African Union Society of Newport, Rhode Island. Methodist minister Rt. Rev. Richard Allen and fellow clergyman Absalom Jones sought to create a community for fellow Black people in the city that was not based on religious beliefs. Members paid monthly dues to the society and could in turn seek aid after one year, provided they lived an "orderly and sober life," according to the society's founding articles. These articles specifically states that the society's goal was to support members who were ill as well as widows and fatherless children. Joseph Clarke served as the organization's first Clerk and Treasurer. Other founding members were Samuel Baston, Joseph Johnson, Cato Freeman, Caesar Cranchell, James Potter, and William White. Other early members included Cyrus Bustill, James Forten, and William Gray. With the exception of Forten, these early members were formerly enslaved. While the society did not have specific religious ties, it did adopt some Quaker practices, such as observing fifteen minutes of meditative silence at the beginning of each meeting. Allen found this in conflict with his Methodist faith and left the society two years after its founding. Jones remained with the society and became its president. In addition to aiding members of the Black community who were facing hardship, the society provided aid to the city as a whole. Philadelphia's yellow fever epidemic of 1793 killed thousands of people, and the society responded to help the city. The society was also useful in fostering social and business relationships between Black Philadelphians. The Free African Society was the forebear of several African-American-led churches in the city. In 1794, the society founded the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas. It offered the position first to Allen to invite him back to the society; when he declined, Jones accepted a position as pastor. Allen led the Methodist congregation, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, which would later serve as a way station on the Underground Railroad. The historical marker placed in 1991 is near this church. Early Pan-Africanist thought underpinned the philosophy of the Free African Society, with African heritage at the center of some members' identities. Allen supported emigration to Africa and Haiti. Several decades later, in 1824, more than six thousand Black people from Philadelphia and other coastal cities migrated to Haiti. The society was a precursor to co-operatives that would emerge in Philadelphia later in the nineteenth century. W. E. B. Dubois mentioned the society in his 1907 report Economic Co-operation among Negro Americans.

Founded in 1787 by preachers Rt. Rev. Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, The Free African Society was a cooperative organization which sought to provide mutual aid, religious services, and community for African-Americans in Philadelphia. It was the second mutual aid society for African-Americans in the United States. While it originally did not have a specific religious affiliation, the organization had ties to several churches and practiced some Quaker traditions; it was a forerunner of the African Methodist Episcopal (A. M. E.) Church, founded by Allen, though he had separated from The Free African Society by then. The society extended help not only to the Black community, but to the rest of the city as well, notably providing aid during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. The Philadelphia Historical and Museum Commission place a historical marker here, by the Mother Bethel A. M. E. Church, to commemorate the society in 1991.

Free African Society Historical Marker

The story of Mother Bethel cannot be told without first telling the story of the founder, Bishop Richard Allen. According to Allen, he was born on February 14, 1760 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the condition of slavery to a Quaker lawyer, Mr. Benjamin Chew. Chew, who at one point served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and personal attorney to the Penn Family, was a wealthy landowner who owned property near the Philadelphia water front, at Cliveden (which is now the Germantown section of the city), and farms in Delaware. Allen, whose father was African and whose mother was bi-racial, could have been born at any of these Chew properties. What is known for certain is that the family was purchased by a Delaware planter, Mr. Stokley Sturgis, when Allen was seven years old. Later, Allen’s mother was again sold along with three of her six children, leaving Allen, his older brother, and a sister on the Sturgis plantation. There is no record of the fate of Allen’s father after this time.Allen later contended that Sturgis was a tender and humane man who was more like a father to his slaves. However, even with a "kind" owner, Allen still held that slavery "was a bitter pill". As he and his brother grew older, they were permitted to attend religious meetings of the Methodist Society. In 1777, at the age of seventeen, Allen was converted to Christianity by the preaching of Freeborn Garretson and joined the Methodist Society. Allen’s conversion was such a powerful experience that later wrote about saying that "all of a sudden my dungeon shook, my chains flew off, and glory to God, I cried. My soul was filled. I cried, enough for me--the Saviour died." Allen and his brother’s new religion led them to work even harder in their assignments on the plantation, as they knew that the prevailing myth of the day was that Christianity made slaves useless.Allen’s industrious example was so convincing that his owner was convinced that Christianity made slaves better, not worse and he allowed Allen to invite Methodist preachers to hold worship services in the Sturgis home. It was during this time that Sturgis was also converted and joined the Methodist Society. Garretson, like many of the early Methodist preachers, had adopted an anti-slavery stance and he reminded Sturgis that he couldn’t get to Heaven owning slaves. This ultimately led Sturgis into a deal that allowed the Allen brothers buy their freedom. Allen earned 2,000 Continental dollars over the next few years by working extra jobs and hauling salt for the American Army during the Revolutionary War, thus earning his freedom.Allen was now free to go and do what his heart truly wanted, to preach the Gospel. He began traveling in 1783 and set about preaching in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. He often walked so much from one place to another that his feet would become severely blistered. In the winter of 1784, Allen attended the "Christmas Conference" of Methodists in America. This historic event was held in Baltimore, Maryland and the Methodist Church established itself as a separate denomination from the Church of England. Allen turned down an invitation by Bishop Francis Asbury to travel with him to preach in the southern states, choosing instead to continue preaching in the northeast.Allen’s choice would prove to be providential. In 1786, the pastor of St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) in Philadelphia invited Allen to begin preaching a 5am worship service. Allen accepted and as a result, the attendance of Black worshipers at St. George’s began to increase. However, the hostile attitude of the White officers and members also began to increase. Although St. George’s began as a church where Blacks and Whites worshiped together without regard to race, attitudes began to change quickly with the influx of new Black converts.Once in Philadelphia, Allen became fast friends with Absalom Jones, who would remain his co-laborer in the Gospel throughout his life. The two men, along with other free Blacks, recognized the need for organization to meet the many unmet needs of their fellow Black citizens. Their conversations led to the founding of the Free African Society (FAS) on April 12, 1787. This mutual aid society provided assistance to the sick, to widows, to orphans, and helped in the burying of the dead for families regardless of religious affiliation. Although a founder, Allen was often at odd with the body due to the heavy Quaker influence which he often found at odds with his Methodist style of worship. However rocky the relationship was, Allen and Jones were both committed to the uplift of their fellow free Blacks.Back at St. George’s, Allen’s preaching was drawing so many new Black congregants that the building could no longer accommodate the growing congregation. He met with other Blacks to discuss the possibility of organizing a church of their own, but was met with opposition (with the exception of Absalom Jones, William White, and Darius Jinnings). White church elders also rejected Allen’s vision of an independent Black church, preferring a segregated St. George’s. To that end, a new balcony was constructed and upon its completion, Allen and others arrived at church only to be shown the new seating arrangement. In his own words, Allen describes the events of that morning:"He (the Trustee) told us to go, and we would see where to sit. We expected to take the seats over the ones we formerly occupied below, not knowing any better. We took those seats. Meeting had begun, and they were nearly done singing, and just as we got to the seats, the elder said, ’Let us pray.’ We had not been long upon our knees before I heard considerable scuffling and low talking. I raised my head up and saw one of the trustees, H-- M--, having hold of the Rev. Absalom Jones, pulling him off of his knees, and saying, ’You must get up--you must not kneel here.’ Mr. Jones replied, ’Wait till prayer is over.’ Mr. H-- M-- said, ’No, you must get up now, or I will call for aid and force you away.’ Mr. Jones said, ’Wait until prayer is over and I will get up and trouble you no more.’ With that he beckoned to one of the other trustees, Mr. L-- S-- to come to his assistance. He came, and went to William White to pull him up. By this time prayer was over, and we all went out of the church in a body, and they were no more plagued with us in the church."This exodus led the group of exiles to begin to raise money for their own church. Dr. Benjamin Rush (a signer on the Declaration of Independence) and Robert Ralston were the first to lend financial backing to Richard Allen. Even the first president of the United States, George Washington, contributed financially to the effort. During this time, the group appointed Allen, Absalom Jones, William Grey, and William Wilcher to locate a parcel of land on which to build an African church to worship God in peace. In 1791, a lot was selected on the corner of Sixth and Lombard Streets. The lot, belonging to Mr. Mark Wilcox, was purchased by Allen, but the congregation soon decided they wanted a different parcel of land on 5th Street, just south of Walnut Street. Allen now had to decide what to do with the property.Adding to Allen’s stress of holding a piece of land that the congregation no longer wanted, he was soon faced with a more pressing dilemma. Much to his surprise, the majority voted to affiliate with the newly formed Episcopal Church, the American version of the Church of England. An appointed committee solicited Richard Allen to serve as the church’s first pastor. He declined, however, because he felt that the simplicity of the Methodist faith was more suitable for Black people. Absalom Jones was then offered the position and accepted the calling, later becoming the first African American priest of the Episcopal Church. Jones and the members of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas erected their building. Demonstrating that Allen’s disagreement with the body was not from ill feelings, he participated in the groundbreaking ceremony, removing the first spade of dirt and he prayed that God would bless their endeavors.It should be noted that the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793 forced a yearlong postponement of fundraising for both Richard Allen and Absalom Jones in building their respective churches. Both men, along with many members of the FAS worked heroically at the call of Dr. Benjamin Rush serving as nurses to the sick, carrying the infirmed to the hospital set up at Bush Hill, and burying the dead. Later, Black aid workers were maligned in pamphlets by Matthew Carey who alleged that Blacks were taking advantage of sick Whites and stealing from the dead. The published response of Allen and Jones with a pamphlet of their own not only forced Carey to print new versions with a more accurate account of their work, but it was also the first copyright given to Blacks in America.

Founded in 1793 by African American Bishop, Richard Allen the Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Richard Allen was born a slave to a Quaker attorney. This church is an relic in remembrance to Richard Allen. The land on which the church was built was bought by Allen from his owner. Allen was a minister, &quot;preeminent Black leader, and founder of the first permanent national association.&quot;


Alongside serving as a stop in the underground railroad, the Mother Bethel AME Church also  has been used by the African-American community as a place for social organizations to meet, being a proponent for racial equality and civil rights on the local and national level. A number of influential African Americans have been gust in the church as well, such leaders include Frederick Douglass, Lucretia Mott, Rosa Parks, and Colin Powell.

Mother Bethel AME Church and Museum

Anthony Benezet was born French Protestant parents in 1713. To escape the persecution that French Protestants (known as Huguenots) faced, Benezet's family emigrated to London when he was just 2 years old. When he was 17, Benezet&nbsp;joined his family when they moved from London to Philadelphia.

Once in Philadelphia, Benezet joined the Quakers and began teaching school in Germantown. He later taught at the Religious Society of Friends’ English School of Philadelphia. In the evenings, Benezet volunteered his time teaching poor African American children. In 1754, Benezet established what some consider to be the first public school for girls in America.&nbsp;Benezet wrote and published anti-slavery tracts and pamphlets and distributed&nbsp;them at his own expense and at great risk to&nbsp;his safety. Among his most famous works,&nbsp;Some Historical Account of Guinea&nbsp;influenced both British and colonial thought among the small number of slavery's opponents after its publication in 1772. He also convinced many of his Quaker brethren in Philadelphia that slave-owning was not consistent with the Christian doctrine.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Anthony Benezet was a French-born American Quaker and teacher who helped educate numerous African American children from his home which was located here in the decades leading up to the American Revolution. Benezet was one of the leading abolitionists in the city during the 18th century and authored numerous articles that influenced the nascent antislavery movement.

Anthony Benezet Historical Marker

The African American Museum of Philadelphia is the first of its kind to be built and funded&nbsp;by a major city to show the lives of African Americans. Museum&nbsp;founder Clarence Farmer worked with&nbsp;founding director Charles H. Wesley who earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University.&nbsp;The museum has a variety of permanent exhibits that tell the story of freedom in Africa, enslavement in America, and liberation through the agency and activism of many generations.&nbsp;The current museum is comprised of over twenty directors who make up the board of directors which is headed by President and CEO of AAMP Patricia Wilson Alden. The museum has also acquired several artifacts from the Philadelphia Civic Center and the Jack T. Franklin collection. &nbsp;Franklin, upon his death, donated his collection of over 500,000 negatives and photographs to be put on display at the museum. &nbsp;Some of the photographs contained images of Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Jesse Jackson. &nbsp;The Civic Center of Philadelphia donated musical instruments, weapons, tools, jewelry, and cushions to be placed on display at the museum.&nbsp; The Jack T. Franklin collection, which is a donation from the photographer of over 500,000 photographs from his career, and the Philadelphia Civic Center Museum Collection. The latter collection was a generous gift from the Philadelphia Civic Center Museum that presented the AAMP with over 300 new African Artifacts. In addition to the previously listed major collections, the African American Museum in Philadelphia was also able to purchase, with the help of a grant from Save America's Treasures, Pearl Bailey's personal photographs and photographs from the Cash/Thompson collection.

Established in 1976, the African American Museum in Philadelphia is the first museum in the United States created and funded by a local government to help convey the history and heritage of African Americans to United States citizens. The museum covers the period from slavery to civil rights with over 750,000 artifacts and four galleries. Each gallery contains a variety of exhibits that interpret the museum's collection, selecting items from the collection and placing their history within the larger narrative of the African American experience. The museum also offers a variety of special thematic exhibits throughout the year, to ensure that every visit provides a new learning experience. A huge plus for young children visiting the museum is the "Children's Corner", an interactive exhibit where children explore the lives of young African American children. 

African American Museum in Philadelphia

The
Methodist congregation that would eventually meet at St. George’s initially
held services in a nearby sail loft on Dock Street and then later at a home
owned by Benjamin Lowley.&nbsp; In 1769, they
were finally able to purchase a permanent home in the form of an unfinished
church started by a German Reformed congregation.&nbsp; That building was begun in 1763 and was
nothing more than an empty shell when acquired.&nbsp;
The Methodists worshipped in it immediately and began interior
improvements that would not be completed until the early 1790s.

Famous
Methodist preacher, Francis Asbury, was received at St. George’s for the first
time in 1771 and he preached there numerous times.&nbsp; He is best known for preaching 16,500 sermons
as he traveled almost 270,000 miles throughout the colonies and America over 45
years.&nbsp; The church also served as a
British hospital and cavalry house while Philadelphia was occupied during the
Revolutionary War in 1777.&nbsp; The British
destroyed what work the congregation had completed on the building’s interior,
which further delayed its completion.&nbsp; &nbsp;

St. George’s
was one of the few houses of worship that permitted Black worshippers.&nbsp; However, Blacks were forced to attend segregated
services prior to the arrival of the white parishioners.&nbsp; In 1787, licensed Black Methodist preacher
and former slave, Richard Allen, led his congregation away from St. George’s and
they went on to found the Mother Bethel A.M.E Church.&nbsp; Mother Bethel was one of the first A.M.E
churches in the nation when it was founded in 1794.&nbsp; In 2009, during the “Great Gathering” at St.
George’s, the two denominations reunited as one congregation and reconciliation
efforts continue.

The original
building has been expanded and renovated over the years, but still features a
simple and dignified interior and exterior and has come to be known as the “cradle
of American Methodism.”&nbsp; It is also,
tongue-in-cheek, known as the “church that moved a bridge” after it won a 1920s
legal battle that forced the construction of the Ben Franklin Bridge to move 15
feet to the east.&nbsp; It museum and archives
features artifacts from 18th and 19th century Philadelphia
as well some of the personal effects of Methodist leaders, such as Francis Asbury’s
Bible and the journal of Joseph Pilmore, the church’s first preacher.&nbsp;

Located at the corner of 4th and New Streets, right next to the Ben Franklin Bridge, St. George’s is the oldest Methodist church in continuous use in the United States.  The congregation was founded in 1767, moved into its current location in 1769 and has been there ever since.  It played a pivotal role in the development of Methodism in the U.S. due to its links to the A.M.E denomination as well as the Methodist leaders who preached within its confines.  The church still welcomes worshippers every Sunday and has opened a Methodist museum and archives on the premises.  It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

St. George's United Methodist Church

State legislator and captain of the last "colored" unit in the Pennsylvania Militia, Samuel Beecher Hart, sponsored a bill in the 1920s to erect a memorial African American service members. Enough funds were collected by 1927 and that year the governor appointed a commission of five members, all of whom were African Americans, to oversee the project. They selected Schweizer, who who was from Switzerland and had created several other monuments in the state.The debate about where the memorial was to be located revealed blatant racism in the city at the time. Understandably, Hart believed it should be placed in a prominent location and Schweizer suggested here along what is known as the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The city's Art Jury (the predecessor to the Art Commission) rejected the request, claiming that the memorial was "mediocre" and instead recommended another location, Fitler Square. However the neighborhood surrounding the square was inhabited by mostly working class Irish-Americans who did not the want the memorial (one landlord said that his building had “very desirable tenants living in these apartments, and we feel that such a statue opposite the apartments would cause us a loss of tenancy”). Neither did the African American community who thought the area was wholly unfit for such a memorial. In the end, the parties involved reached a compromise and the memorial was erected in 1934 in a remote spot in West Fairmount Park.It remained there for several decades despite the efforts of Hart's granddaughter, Doris Jones Holliday, and others who worked to have it relocated to a worthy location. It was finally moved here in 1994 thanks to the work of the Committee to Restore and Relocate the All Wars Memorial, which raised funds for its restoration and relocation.The full text of the plaque is as follows:TO COMMEMORATE THE HEROISM AND SACRIFICE OF ALL COLORED SOLDIERS WHO SERVED IN THE VARIOUS WARS ENGAGED IN BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THAT A LASTING RECORD SHALL BE MADE OF THEIR UNSELFISH DEVOTION TO DUTY AS AN INSPIRATION TO FUTURE GENERATIONS THIS MONUMENT IS DEDICATED MAY 30TH, 1934

Created by artist Jakob Otto Schweizer in 1934, the All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors commemorates Pennsylvania's African American service members who served for the country in wartime. It is located prominently in the north end of Aviator Park next to the Logan Square traffic circle. It consists of finely detailed sculptures of African American military men who cluster about an allegorical figure representing Justice, who holds symbols of Honor and Reward. Above, American eagles surround a torch of life. The other side features four allegorical female figures representing the principles of war, liberty, peace, and plenty. First placed in West Fairmount Park, this work was moved here in 1994.

All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors

Willis G. Hale was the architect who saw to the construction
of the Lorraine Apartments in 1892. The ten-story Late Victorian structure was one of the highest buildings in the city at the time of its completion and&nbsp;housed many of the cities wealthiest and most influential citizens.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 1900, the Metropolitan Hotel Company purchased the
property and the site became the location of the Lorraine Hotel. The Hotel would remain under the same
ownership and beliefs until Father Divine purchased the property in 1948 for
$485,000. Divine combined the Victorian
style Hotel with his Universal Peace Movement Mission to create a hotel that welcomed all customers regardless of race or&nbsp;religion. The hotel required guests to abide by a code of conduct, however, including bans on&nbsp;smoking, drinking
and a requirement that they dress in modest manner. In
addition, men would reside on one side of the hotel, and women would be on the
opposite side.&nbsp;

The hotel continued to operate after Father
Divine passed away but closed in 2000. After years of neglect and vandalism, the building was renovated and reopened as an apartment building. The Lorraine had come
full circle, it had started as an apartment building and would now return to
the Philadelphia landscape as an apartment building. The Divine Lorraine Hotel was recognized as a historical
landmark in 1994 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.&nbsp; The hotel would be added to the National
Register of Historical Places officially in 2002, two years after it was
vacated.

Constructed as a luxury apartment building in 1892, this structure became home to the Lorraine Hotel in 1900. Father Divine, the leader of the Universal Peace Movement, acquired the building in 1948 and operated the Divine Hotel which welcomed all regardless of race and religion so long as they agreed to follow the rules for guests. With its primarily African American congregation that followed Father Divine, an African American who developed a large national following and even larger real estate portfolio. The Divine Hotel placed men and women in different sides of the hotel and barred alcohol, smoking, and immodest dress and behavior. Divine's wealth attracted numerous investigations and reports of impropriety and mishandling funds meant for the church. Today, the building is once again home to luxury apartments 

Divine Lorraine Hotel

Rosetta Tharpe was born as Rosetta Nubin in the small town of Cotton Plant, Arkansas on March 20, 1915. By the time she was six, she was already performing for an audience at the Church of God in Christ at the encouragement of her spiritual mother who was a member of the congregation. In 1934, Rosetta Nubin married Thomas Thorpe. After four years, Rosetta obtained a divorce and moved to New York City where she adapted her former husband's surname to "Tharpe" for to create what would become her stage name, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The musician would use this name as her public name for the rest of her life. Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s recording career began in 1938 when she was just 23 years old. While her records, which mixed secular musical style with gospel, were controversial to some church members, others appreciated the new style and her music was popular with the young and general public. Audiences were frequently taken aback by Tharpe’s virtuosic skill with the electric guitar as well her distinctive distorted style of playing which would heavily the rock ‘n roll genre in the years to come. Her 1944 hit record “Strange Things Happening Every Day” is widely regarded to be one of the first rock ‘n roll songs ever recorded. In 1947, while playing a show at the Macon City Auditorium, Sister Rosetta Tharpe heard a 15-year-old Richard Wayne Penniman sing before she came on stage. Impressed by his talent, she invited the teen to sing with her during the concert and even paid him for it afterwards. It was Penniman’s first time performing for an audience outside of church. This experience inspired him to keep pursuing his passion for music. Penniman later become world-renowned rock ‘n roll musician Little Richard.  While touring internationally in 1957, Tharpe's Richmond home and all of her belongings were seized on account of unpaid taxes and auctioned off by the city. After this incident, Tharpe moved with her husband to Philadelphia. When the city created the Yorktown Neighborhood in 1960, Sister Rosetta Tharpe became one of the first homeowners in the now-historic Black neighborhood. While living there, Tharpe joined Bright Hope Baptist Church where she regularly sang for Sunday services. She also embarked on one of the most successful professional periods of her career, releasing 5 LP's and receiving a Grammy nomination for her album Precious Memories in 1968. That year, however, proved personally difficult for Tharpe. Her mother, who had been a major influence in her life, died and Tharpe was diagnosed with diabetes. She spent the next two years struggling with depression, and then suffered a stroke in 1970 that resulted in the amputation of her leg. On October 9, 1973- right before a scheduled recording session- Tharpe had a second stroke. She was transported to Temple University Hospital where she died at the age of 57. Her body was buried in an unmarked grave at Northwood Cemetery. In the years since Sister Rosetta Tharpe's death, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in her life and work. On July 15, 1998, she was honored by the US Postal Service with a 32-cent commemorative stamp. Thanks to the work of her lifelong friends and fans, in January of 2008 Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell declared January 11th "Sister Rosetta Tharpe Day" in Pennsylvania. A benefit concert was also held that month to raise money for a headstone which was placed at Tharpe's gravesite later that year. On October 24, 2011, a Pennsylvania historical marker plaque was unveiled outside of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's former Philadelphia home at 1102 Master Street. Reverend Joe Williams, who sang with Tharpe at her last concert, performed at the ceremony. Today, the house is owned by Annie Morrison, the widow of Tharpe's late husband and former manager Russell Morrison.

Often called the "Godmother of Rock 'n Roll" and the "original soul sister," gospel singer-songwriter Sister Rosetta Tharpe was famous for her spiritual lyrics, rhythm-and-blues musical style, and distorted electric guitar playing which later became iconic in the rock 'n roll genre. Tharpe influenced artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard, and in recent years, many have rediscovered her music. After living in Richmond for a decade during the height of her career, Tharpe moved to Philadelphia in 1957. She was a first-generation resident of Philadelphia's Yorktown neighborhood where she lived in a house on Master Street until her death in 1973. On October 24, 2011, a historical marker was placed in front of the former music legend's home by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. According to author Gayle Wald, Tharpe responded to claims about the "new" style of rock and roll by demonstrating that music, like everything else, has a history. "Oh, these kids and rock and roll," Tharpe exclaimed according to the author's accounts, "this is just sped up rhythm and blues."

Sister Rosetta Tharpe Home Historical Marker

Frequently Asked Questions about the UNIA-ACL from the national website:Explain the U.N.I.A. and A.C.L.'s desire for a United States of Africa? As U.N.I.A. and A.C.L. members, we are Garveyites. Garveyites realize that race and color play an important part in the world today. We realize that the coming into being of a powerful African nation will mean the easing of the color bar wherever African people live. The difference in the Garveyite and the African person who has "lost nothing in Africa" lies in their conception of freedom. Garveyites have been taught that freedom can only be firmly established in consecrated soil. It must be sown deep in belief in one's self, and in one's own ability to conquer adversity. Freedom is carved out of dreams of greatness, and a determination to turn those dreams into living realities. It is planted in a common longing to shape one's own fate. The non-Garveyite is seeking freedom through others. They doubt their ability to establish it for themselves. The environment in which they live has robbed them of their faith in their own powers of creative endeavor, and their own human and moral worth. Having little confidence in their own ability to create and build, they feel that their future depends on begging others for privileges and opportunities, and eventually escaping from themselves by means of amalgamation. We believe God created all women and men equal, that he gave us all the ingredients of greatness. What one race can do, all others may accomplish. This being true, our fight for recognition and equality will fall short of the goal so long as we are content to follow the initiative of others. Such a course will always leave us a step behind, until we prove to the world, that we too, are women and men capable of doing what other men and women have done, we will always be looked upon as a little less than other women and men. Only when we too have created states, built nations, and created the governments comparable to those of the modern men and women, will we be able to erase the stigma of inferiority. Why does the UNIA still use the word Negro in its official title? The answer is complex and one needs to know a little about the history of the melanin dominated peoples we call African, Black, Negro, etc. According to J.A. Rogers, the forefather of Black Anthropology, "Negro" is the oldest known and most ancient name to describe our family of the human race. During Marcus Garvey's era, Negro was indeed the name of our race that was most acceptable. Since Dr. ben Jochannan and other Black historians have given us so much insight and information on the history of Kemit and our race, we can no longer accept "NEGRO" as the sole description for us as a people. The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League is very much aware of this situation today that provides "Africans" another excuse for not joining in with the Grandfather of Black Nationalist Organizations. To drop "NEGRO" from our official title could bring legal disaster to the UNIA. European governments, particularly the U.S. government, seized millions of dollars in property and assets and still has the UNIA in a legal bind due to the frame up of Mr. Garvey. This perhaps is the main reason for not changing "NEGRO" TO "AFRICAN". The bottom line is, until we establish ourselves a government and nation, we are still Negroes to some. We may call ourselves Blacks, Africans, African-American, Kemetian, Nubian or otherwise. It makes no difference in our eco-political status of the world as of now.

Founded by Marcus Garvey in 1914, the UNIA remains one of the oldest African American fraternal organizations in American history. The organization reached its membership peak in the 1920s but continues to meet in Philadelphia and other major cities under the auspices of the UNIA-ACL.

Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League 

The first African American Presbyterian congregation in the United States Philadelphia's First African Presbyterian Church is located in a large Gothic stone building that&nbsp;features distinctive accented window within the building's front facade. FAPC's current sanctuary was constructed in the late 1950s Its front doors are currently painted red, creating a striking contrast between it and the gray stone exterior.&nbsp; First African Presbyterian Church was established in 1807 by the former slave, Reverend John Gloucester. Gloucester was likely born into slavery in Tennessee in the year 1776. After receiving his freedom around the turn of the 19th century by his owner, Presbyterian minister Gideon Blackburn, Gloucester was commissioned by a Presbyterian Assembly in Lexington to preach the Christian faith to African African Americans. Gloucester later relocated to Philadelphia&nbsp;and began a career as a preacher, minister, and evangelist.&nbsp;Over the next few years, Gloucester's ministry grew leading to the foundation of First African Presbyterian Church. After preaching to local residents in 1807 and growing what would become his congregation, Gloucester preached sermons to over 120 people by 1811. Gloucester continued to work as a minister at First African Presbyterian Church until his death in 1822 The congregation first met at a building on the corner of&nbsp;7th and Bainbridge Street. From 1879 to 1891, First African Presbyterian Church worshiped at 7th and Shippen. After selling that building and meeting at several temporary&nbsp;quarters, the church acquired a new sanctuary at 17th and Fitzwater Street. In 1943, the congregation acquired the former&nbsp;Tabor Presbyterian Church building at 18th and Christian Street.&nbsp;FAPC would eventually settle in its current location on Girard Avenue in 1957.

First African Presbyterian Church was established in 1807 by the former slave, Reverend John Gloucester. First African Presbyterian Church was the first African American Presbyterian Congregation in America. Founded as First Colored Presbyterian, the congregation has been known as First African Presbyterian Church since 1966 and has worshipped at this building on Girard Avenue since 1957.

First African Presbyterian Church

The Philadelphia Stars were established&nbsp;in 1933 by Ed Bolden, the previous owner of the&nbsp;Hilldale Daisies. The Stars became a member of the
Negro National League after one season as an independent team in 1933. As
a member of the NNL in 1934, the Stars won the NNL pennant in a classic series
with the Chicago American Giants.&nbsp;From 1934 until 1948, the Stars remained one of the biggest draws&nbsp;within the&nbsp;NNL. After the NNL dissolved in 1948, the Stars joined the Negro American
League and continued baseball operations&nbsp;until 1952. During the Philadelphia Stars’ time, they featured greats
like Biz Mackey and even Satchel Paige in 1950.Recently, the Philadelphia Phillies have worked to honor
the men of the Philadelphia Stars and their contributions to the game of
baseball and the city of Philadelphia. Every April 15 on Jackie Robinson Day,
the Phillies and members of various Philadelphia Business Association members
gather at Philadelphia Stars Negro League Memorial Park to honor and remember
the legacy of African American baseball in the Philadelphia community.

Located in Philadelphia’s West Parkside neighborhood, the Philadelphia Stars Negro League Memorial Park stands in the very spot where the Philadelphia Stars played their home games an Penmar Park. In addition to being the home of the Stars, the ballpark also served as the host to multiple Negro League World Series games in the 1930s and 1940s. The Memorial Park, which was made possible through the coming together of several parties including the MLB and City of Philadelphia in 2004, features a historical site marker, a mural, and a memorial statue.

Philadelphia Stars Negro League Memorial Park

Absalom Jones, along with other Black Methodists, formed the congregation after white leaders and members of St. George’s Methodist Church refused to end formal and informal discrimination. The Black members of the church even performed an act of civil disobedience prior to forming their&nbsp;own church by staging a large walk-out during services. Jones proposed the independent church and took the lead.&nbsp;

Jones was born into slavery but was able to perform additional labor and purchase his freedom, a practice that was allowed but uncommon in the North and a few other parts of the United States in the 18th century. Jones and his life-long friend Richard Allen became leaders among the Black members of St. George's Episcopal Church. The pair also helped the community during a devastating yellow fever epidemic and presented petitions calling for the abolition of slavery.&nbsp;

Absalom was appointed the First Worshipful Master and the First Grand Master of the First African Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The Second Great Awakening influenced Allen and Jones to create their own church. The congregation's first building was at&nbsp;Fifth and Adelphi Street.&nbsp;

Established in 1792, St. Thomas African Episcopal Church became the first Episcopal Church with African American leaders and congregants. The congregation dates back to discrimination against Black members at St. George's Methodist Church which inspired Black members to form the Free African Society. After white clergy and members of St. George's continued to relegate Black members to separate pews and second-class membership, Black members formed their own congregation under the leadership of Absalom Jones and Richard Allen. In 1802, Jones became the first African American to be ordained to the ministry by Episcopal Bishop William White. During the antebellum period, leaders and members of this congregation actively supported abolitionists and assisted efforts to assist enslaved persons escape via the Underground Railroad. 

St. Thomas African Episcopal Church

The organization eventually known as MOVE began in Philadelphia in the 1970s as the American Christian Movement for Life or the Christian Life Movement. The group, which defies easy categorization, was founded by Vincent Leaphart, who took the name John Africa. Africa’s philosophy for the group included Black liberation, communal living, animal rights, and vegetarianism. The group was founded in 1972 and was centered primarily in West Philadelphia. The first serious confrontation between MOVE and Philadelphia police came on August 8, 1978, when officers attempted to evict the group from its compound in Powelton Village. The move came after numerous complaints from neighbors about unsanitary living conditions in the building, the number of animals on the property, and the group’s use of a bullhorn to broadcast John Africa’s teachings, as well as numerous other issues. Police attempted to remove residents from the house with a battering ram and water cannons and members of MOVE opened fire. In the melee, a police officer named James Ramp was fatally shot and several others were injured. Though the exact events leading to Ramp’s death are disputed, two years later, nine members of MOVE were convicted of murder and sentenced to between 30 and 100 years in prison. Following the shootout at Powelton Village, MOVE set up a new compound at 6221 Osage Avenue in a middle-class, African American neighborhood. The group gradually turned their row house into a fortress of sorts, with boarded up windows and a bunker on the roof. Their unorthodox behavior continued, alienating neighbors, who eventually contacted the police. The police issued warnings to the group, which remained belligerent and continued broadcasting its tirades over loudspeaker. MOVE members refused to leave the building or to allow the children inside to leave. On May 13, 1985, hundreds of police officers, a bomb squad and several fire trucks arrived at Osage Avenue. They turned fire hoses on the residence and when MOVE members refused to leave the building, police blew holes in the walls to fumigate the building with tear gas. When the tear gas failed to force the residents out, a shootout ensued, with police firing thousands of rounds into the building. Police then decided to bomb the rooftop bunker by dropping C4 explosives from a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter. The powerful explosives triggered a fire and, concerned that firefighters would be injured in the ongoing shootout between police and MOVE members, city officials made the controversial decision to let the fire burn. In a neighborhood of rowhomes and narrow streets, it spread over several blocks, leaving 250 people homeless as the city watched the event play out on live television. Six adults and five children were killed in the attack, leaving only two survivors from the Osage Avenue residence: Ramona Africa and thirteen-year-old Birdie Africa, who later began using his birth name of Michael Ward.In the aftermath of the bombing, Mayor Wilson Goode, Philadelphia's first African American mayor and the person many Philadelphia residents blame for the attack, convened a committee to investigate the bombing. The result was a report that denounced virtually every level of city government involved in the attack, concluding that "dropping a bomb on an occupied rowhouse was unconscionable." Mayor Goode maintains that he ordered the fire be put out, but the city's fire commissioner testified that he never received the order. Ramona Africa was convicted on riot charges and served seven years in prison, but in 1996, she and relatives of some of the MOVE victims killed in the fire won a $1.5 million settlement from the city. Osage Avenue and some of the surrounding streets have never fully recovered from that day in 1985. The city eventually hired developers to rebuild the neighborhood but the homes were shoddily constructed, and in the 2000s, the city offered to buy back the homes for $150,000 each. Many residents took the buy out and left the neighborhood, an exodus which further damaged the beleaguered area. As of this writing, many of the buildings remain vacant and boarded up, including the rebuilt home at 6221 Osage.

One of the most tragic events in Philadelphia’s history occurred on May 13, 1985, when the police bombed a residence on Osage Avenue. The home belonged to MOVE, an organization whose members supported a variety of causes from civil rights to animal rights and the rejection of technology. The organization’s unorthodox methods, such as shouting the teachings of their founder, John Africa, through a loudspeaker, earned the ire of some of their neighbors. This also led to tensions between city officials and escalating confrontation with police. In May of 1985, police attacked the barricaded house and dropped a makeshift bomb on the building’s rooftop. The attack ignited a fire that killed several members of MOVE, including children. The fire spread through the community and destroyed three city blocks and left 250 people homeless.  To date, this has been the only aerial bombing of a private residence carried out by police officers on American solid. 


African American History of Philadelphia Heritage Trail

Burning of Pennsylvania Hall in Anti-Abolitionist Riot of 1838

Introduction

Images

Additional Information