1838 Black Metropolis

Historicide and #Linguicide are real and deeply impactful phenomena, as our Native American communities know all too well. These terms describe the erasure of history, culture, and, in many ways, the identities of people. This kind of erasure isn’t new—it has occurred throughout history. Over 2,000 years ago, Alexander the Great destroyed much of what we now call Persepolis. Religious wars in Europe damaged churches, icons, and artworks. Stalin, Hitler, and Mao targeted buildings and cultural symbols tied to ideas they deemed dangerous. A half-century ago, the Khmer Rouge devastated Cambodia’s cultural heritage by destroying temples and monuments. Closer to home, Native American tribes were subjected to boarding schools that stripped them of language, family bonds, and cultural traditions. This systematic destruction, which could be called "historicide," often stems from efforts to reshape societies by erasing existing identities and preventing their transmission to future generations. Whether driven by ideological zeal or the desire to rewrite history, these actions aim to dismantle the symbols, traditions, and stories that connect people to their past. This is why #preserving and #protectingthepast is so vital. Museums, libraries, and historic sites are not just places of beauty—they safeguard the ideas, values, and narratives that shape our collective identity and guide future generations. Protecting these spaces ensures that today’s efforts to erase history do not succeed. As we gather for #Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment to reflect on the full story of this day. For many, it’s a time to celebrate community, gratitude, and connection. But it’s also a day rooted in a complex and painful history—a history of resilience and survival for Native American communities in the face of profound loss and injustice. Honoring the truth of these origins isn’t about diminishing the present; it’s about expanding it. By recognizing both the beauty of gathering together and the weight of the past, we make space for a more honest and inclusive future—one where all stories are valued and remembered.

Did you know that a song written by a Philadelphia AME pastor in 1830 helped to inspire Nat Turner in 1831? In 1831, Nat Turner’s liberation action was one of many within a global movement led by Black people to free oppressed people throughout the world. Starting with the Haitian Revolution, the movement grew and Black Philadelphia led and participated in a myriad of ways, including sending support back into the slave south. This story about Rev. Shadrack Bassett and The African Hymn illustrates how Black Philadelphia showed up - providing resources, inspiration, and creating ongoing networks of communication to free as many people as possible. Learn more on our latest blog post https://lnkd.in/eU9k4rZx Sources:  Callahan, Mathew, et al. Songs of Slavery and Emancipation. University Press of Mississippi, 2022. Jérémie-Brink, Nathan. “Gratuitous Distribution”: Distributing African American Antislavery Texts, 1773-1850. 2018. Handy, James. Scraps of African Methodist Episcopal History. 1902. Oates, Stephen B. The Fires of Jubilee : Nat Turner’s Fierce Rebellion. 1st ed., Harper & Row, 1975.

We have just come from an incredible research visit to the Dorsey collection at Penn State.  There will be more to come but we wanted to share these beautiful portraits with you right away. The Dorsey Collection is the sibling to the Leon Gardiner collection at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.  Both collections were originally part of the one collection of the American Negro Historical Society.  We are seeing some of our people for the first time.  For example, we don’t know of any other portrait of Shadric (aka Shradrach) Bassett. Bassett was an AME preacher who was ordained on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in 1817.  He was planting an AME church a year before Frederick Douglass was born, in Frederick Douglass' hometown.   He famously started his preaching from an oxcart borrowed from the Wayman family.  The church he built - Bethel AME - is still standing - now over 200 years old. He also wrote a popular Black Liberation Song called 'The African Hymn' that was so powerful that it "struck terror in proslavery Virginians as it advanced a theological argument for black liberation." (Jeremie-Brink) He eventually came to live in Philadelphia and owned his own home on South 4th Street, just south of Christian.  And while we had previously seen a portrait of Joseph Corr, this one is pristine. Joseph Corr was also an AME Preacher. Handy says that in 1824 he was  “The youngest man in the Conference, the best educated, and it is said the most gifted preacher.” Corr is well known for his speech on the Humane Mechanics in 1824 and was considered to be an up and coming leader of the AME church. He married Emeline, a Freedom Seeker, and together they had 4 children in Philadelphia.  He died when he was only 28 in 1835 of tuberculosis and is most likely buried at Bethel Burying Ground. Sources: https://lnkd.in/esKenF4f Handy Scraps of African Methodist Episcopal History: https://lnkd.in/e3nUcrHR Joseph Corr’s Speech in Dorothy Porter’s Anthology https://lnkd.in/ePmR_kVp Outlines of history by Bishop Lee and Bishop Tanner https://lnkd.in/eB_rQuif Nathan Jeremie-Brink https://lnkd.in/eFsnifHt Photos Courtesy Cheyney University and Penn State university.

Great opportunity for any Black educators in Philly needing to fund an idea ❤️💚🖤

Our ancestors here in Pennsylvania have fought century over century to be able to vote. We bring you some of those early voting stories in hopes that you will encourage everyone in your life to vote in this election!

Join us on Saturday as we share our findings about the Black led engine of emancipation in Philadelphia in the 1800s that helped nearly 1000 people a year emancipate and settle into brand new lives of freedom. Educational visionary Ismael Jimenez has put together an amazing program that will leave you 🙌🏾 uplifted 🙌🏾 as we learn about histories that have not yet made it into the textbooks. Shout out to all the ✨teachers✨we met over the past months. We have such respect and love for you! ❤️🖤💚 Can’t wait to see you again on Saturday!

🚨 Exciting Opportunity for Philly Educators! 🚨 Join the Teaching Black History Grant Program and make an impact! 💡 Develop a 2-week Black history unit, participate in week-long summer institute on teaching Black History, earn a $1,200 stipend, and get a chance to present at the Teaching Black History Conference in Buffalo! 🌍📚 This is your chance to contribute to the future of Black History education. Apply now at https://lnkd.in/eqUmW84P 📝 #TeachingBlackHistory #blackhistoryeducation #professionaldevelopment #EducationOpportunity #culturallyrelevantteaching #teacherleadership #phillyeducators #ApplyNow

Today, we came across something we didn’t expect in the 1847 Pennsylvania Abolition Society census—evidence of how Black people were banking in Philadelphia.  This was a surprise to us - that there were Black victims of the bank failures caused by the Panic of 1837. We also found harrowing stories of being cheated from freedom and people who brought freedom suits as well. We even found a man who remembered his early life in Africa. Our hope is that scholars dig in. A researcher studying early Black banking now has names connected to Philadelphia banks. With names, one can go into the bank archive and perhaps find even more evidence. What's clear is that our ancestors ❤️ 🖤 💚 wanted us to know ❤️ 🖤 💚. They made sure that the census taker wrote these stories down. It's our honor to lift them back up and share them with all of you. https://lnkd.in/ea4P9u6s

We think we may have found evidence of some of the earliest protests against racist public transportation laws in Philadelphia. In November 1840, Westward Keeling took out a classified ad in the Public Ledger calling to task a white Stage Coach driver who forced his 14 year old daughter to sit on top of coach for the miles long journey from West Philly to Center City. This was 20 years before the trolley car desegregation movement. We came across this story by accident because we are currently obsessed with the history of Shiloh Baptist church. Check out the full Westward Keeling story on our blog! https://lnkd.in/e-uzjBje

Annnndddd....we're back! 2 Conferences, 1 History Day, 3 Tours, 2 Filming events, 1 Public Talk...it's been a little busy! We thought we'd share with you some of the experiences. You'll see our expanded team that now includes our scholar-in-residence Tyler Diaz, our board member for academic affairs Dr. Kirsten Lee and our board member for organizational capacity, Michelle Flamer, who presented at ASALH. Thanks to Uncle Vincent who helped us with conference logistics at ASALH.