As Black History Month continues through February, the Philadelphia Historic District’s “52 Weeks of Firsts” will reflect for a second of week on the city’s role in the struggle for equal rights with a “Firstival” on Saturday recognizing the creation of the nation’s first abolitionist society back in 1775.
With the dismantling of slavery exhibits at the President’s House site last month and the ensuing lawsuit and public reactions to it, organizers say the need to highlight Philly’s African American history has grown more urgent, especially as such history is being removed elsewhere.
“The history of the abolitionist movement feels to me to be one of the many places where we need to re-look and make sure we’re telling a full enough story for everyone in the world to recognize themselves and to thrive,” Emma Lapensky-Werner, a professor emeritus of history at Haverford College, said.
Feb. 21 will center on the first authentic Chinese gate built in America, as it coincides with Lunar New Year.
Each “first” celebration is commemorated with a sculpture in the shape of a numeral 1, uniquely painted by one of 25 local artists selected by Mural Arts Philadelphia. Iris Barbee Bonner was chosen to paint the one for the abolitionist society, as well as the sculpture for Mother Bethel.
The Pennsylvania Abolition Society was founded in April of 1775 at the Rising Sun Tavern, led by Quaker leaders and educators. Benjamin Franklin would go on to become a president of the group. The society’s first goal was to provide “relief for free negroes unlawfully held in bondage.” Later, that evolved to “improving the condition of the African race.”
Lapensky-Werner said that the group’s efforts to make Philadelphia a safe place for emancipated African American people helped to build the energy that created abolitionist societies in other parts of the country.
The society is still active today, providing grants to organizations and programs that are helping to improve the conditions of African Americans throughout the state. Lapensky-Werner is on the society’s committee that reviews grant proposals and called her role in telling its history, while also guiding its future, “exciting.”
“To think that there is a thread running through from at least the 1770s, where there’s a group of people and an idea that says ‘All humans are valuable, all humans are special,’” she said. “The trick is to figure out how to teach us all to appreciate all of us. And anything that serves to do that is all good.”
In the coming weeks
Here is the complete list of other firsts being highlighted this year, along with the upcoming Saturday “firstival” dates and locations.
The first:
Completed
Week 1: Successful balloon flight in America (1793)
Week 2: The Mummers parade, the nation’s first folk parade (1901)
Week 3: Volunteer fire company (1736)
Week 4: Professional basketball league (1898)
Week 5: Public Girl Scout cookie sale (1932)
Week 6: African Methodist Episcopal congregation (1794)
Upcoming
- Abolitionist society in America (1775)
Feb. 14, African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St. - Authentic Chinese gate built in America (1984)
Feb. 21, Crane Community Center, 1001 Vine Street - Public protest against slavery in America (1688)
Feb. 28, Historic Germantown Mennonite Meetinghouse, 6119 Germantown Ave. - Flower Show (1829)
March 7, Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St. - Women’s medical college (1850)
March 14, Health Sciences Building, Drexel University, 60 N. 36th St. - Match folder (1892)
March 21, Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut St. - The first medical school in America (1765)
March 28, Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Civic Center Blvd. - Stadium in America (1895)
April 4, Franklin Field, 235 S. 33rd St. - Circus performance in America (1793)
April 11, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, 6452 Greene St. - Botanical garden (1728)
April 18, Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd. - Postmaster (1737)
April 25, Franklin Court, 322 Market St. - American-made piano and sousaphone (1775 and 1893)
May 2, Ensemble Arts Philly, 300 S. Broad St. - Mother’s Day (1908)
May 9, Historic St. George’s Museum & Archives, 326 New St. - Hospital in America (1751)
May 16, Pennsylvania Hospital, 800 Spruce St. - World’s Fair on American soil (1876)
May 23, Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic - Steamboat for passengers and freight (1787)
May 30, Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd. - American flag (1777)
June 6, Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch St. - U.S. Army (1775)
June 13, Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd St. - Annual Reminder demonstration (1965)
June 20, Philly Pride Visitor Center, Lombard St. and S. 12th St. - Paper maker in America (1690)
June 27, Rittenhouse Town, 6034 Wissahickon Ave. - Bank of the United States (1791)
July 4, First Bank of the United States, 120 S. 3rd St. - Organized baseball team (1831)
July 11 (location TBD) - Ice cream soda (Oct. 1874)
July 18, Franklin Fountain, 116 Market St. - American art school (1805)
July 25, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St. - Scientific Society of Natural History (1812)
Aug. 1, at Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway - Zoo in America (1874)
Aug. 8, Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave. - U.S. Mint (1793)
Aug. 15 (location TBD) - Selfie (1839)
Aug. 22, Love Park, 1501 John F Kennedy Blvd. - Slinky (1943)
Aug. 29, Philadelphia Art Museum, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway - Signing of the Constitution (1787)
Sept. 5, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St. - Continental Congress (1774)
Sept. 12 at Carpenters’ Hall, 320 Chestnut St. - Naming of the United States (1776)
Sept. 19, Independence Hall - Ronald McDonald House (1974)
Sept. 26, Ronald McDonald House, 3925 Chestnut St. - Penitentiary in America (1829)
Oct. 3, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave. - The First Peoples
Oct. 10, Penn Museum, 3260 South St. - U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775)
Oct. 17, Arch Street Meeting House, 320 Arch St. - Public showing of a motion picture (1870)
Oct. 24, Philadelphia Film Society, 1412 Chestnut St. - Modern detective story written (1841)
Oct. 31, Edgar Allan Poe House, 532 N. 7th St. - Thanksgiving Day parade in America (1920)
Nov. 7, Benjamin Franklin Parkway - University in America (1740)
Nov. 14, Houston Hall, The University of Pennsylvania, 3417 Spruce St. - Children’s hospital in America (1855)
Nov. 21, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Main Building, 3401 Civic Center Blvd. - Pencil with an attached eraser (1858)
Nov. 28, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St. - Weather bureau (1870)
Dec. 5, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St. - Electronic computer (1945)
Dec. 12, The University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut St. - Public lending library in America (1731)
Dec. 19, The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St. - Philly food firsts: Cheesesteaks (1930s), water ice (1932) and bubble gum (1928)
Dec. 26, Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St.
