Celebrating the legacy of Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson was once one of the most famous people in the world, and he used his considerable platform to speak out against racism, Jim Crow laws and injustice in the U.S. and abroad. He also suffered the consequences.
Cliveden illuminates stories lost in the shadows of one of Philadelphia’s most powerful men
Benjamin Chew was one of the most powerful and wealthy men in Philadelphia in the 1700s, but his legacy includes being head of one of the largest slave-holding families in Pennsylvania. As research into family documents reveals more and more of that difficult history, leadership at Cliveden hasn’t shied from sharing it and exploring what life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness meant during the Revolutionary War era.
Full STEAM ahead: Pittsburgh nonprofit centers people of color in science history
Using PA SHARP funding, Assemble is teaching students about leaders from the African diaspora in STEAM fields and Philadelphia’s Brandywine Workshop and Archives has created a free database that makes diverse, contemporary art and artists more accessible.
Getting to know resident Chester historian Twyla Simpkins, better known as Ms. T
By Karen Price Twyla Simpkins remembers being a little girl and mashing up crayon shavings so that she could color the people in pictures to look like her. From that very early desire to see herself in the world grew an interest in finding Black history memorabilia and artifacts, and a passion for collecting and…
A trove of 19th-century Black history awaits within Victorian house museum in Philadelphia
When you think of what’s contained within a Victorian house museum, a collection of largely unknown Black history probably wouldn’t be the first thing to come to mind.
But Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, located in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, isn’t your typical Victorian house museum. Although the house itself doesn’t have a direct link to Black history, the museum’s commitment to serving its predominantly Black neighbors has created a space to share the stories of prominent African Americans of the 19th century.