John Brown: 150 Years Later is made possible by the efforts and cooperation of these organizations:
Pennsylvania Abolition Society
Incorporated in 1789, the PAS is a not-for-profit organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, founded by Anthony Benezet in 1775 and reorganized by Benjamin Rush in 1784. For nearly 235 years, the PAS has maintained a commitment to improving the condition of African Americans and others adversely affected by slavery and social injustice. In its early years, the PAS provided protection to free blacks against the threat of kidnapping and enslavement, as well as education and employment training for the black community. In contrast to other pre-Civil War anti-slavery organizations, the PAS viewed the end of the Civil War and Emancipation as only partially addressing needs within the black community and among the new freedmen. Consequently, the PAS continued to work on education and quality of life issues for African Americans. Today, through legacy gifts provided by early members, the PAS supports, with small grants and gifts, community efforts in Southeastern Pennsylvania that seek to address the social, economic and educational inequities faced by African Americans, particularly disadvantaged youth. The PAS also supports and collaborates on initiatives that increase understanding of slavery’s imprint on contemporary life and also works to bridge the divisions in our modern society resulting from our nation’s history of slavery, inequality and injustice.
Abraham Lincoln Foundation of the Union League – 140 S. Broad Street
The Foundation makes the collections of the Union League available to the public through tours, exhibits, symposia and special programs. Their efforts help to shape an understanding of the history of the City of Philadelphia and the region through collaborations with the Civil War History Consortium, the Pennsylvania Quest for Freedom, the PA Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and area colleges.
The African American Museum of Philadelphia -701 Arch Street
Founded in 1976, the AAMP is the first institution, built by a major American city, to house and interpret the life and work of African Americans. The museum has objectively interpreted and presented the achievements and aspirations of African-Americans from pre-Colonial times to the current day. Visit the museum’s new permanent exhibition, Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia, 1776-1876.
Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia -15 South 7th Street
The Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia is the gateway to the city’s history. Founded 70 years ago as the history museum of the City of Philadelphia, the museum allows students, families, metropolitan residents, and visitors both national and international to discover the city and gain insight into contemporary urban life through its exhibitions and programs.
The Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University – 1330 W. Berks Street
The Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection is one of the nation’s leading research facilities for the study of the history and culture of people of African descent. As a major research facility, it provides materials, expository programs and service for Black Studies research scholars. The collection is used by a wide spectrum of researchers ranging from high school students to well-established scholars.
The Civil War History Consortium – 1300 Locust Street
The Civil War History Consortium is a group of almost 70 Philadelphia area institutions with sites, collections, and programs that relate to the Civil War era. It seeks to preserve, link, and promote the stories, collections, and locations that reveal the Philadelphia region’s crucial role in the nation’s search for liberty and unity during the Civil War era by providing meaningful heritage and educational experiences.
Cliveden – 6401 Germantown Avenue
A National Trust Historic Site in the Germantown section of Philadelphia where you can hear two distinct stories of the struggle for freedom. The first tale is of the country’s struggle to achieve independence during the Revolutionary War and the Battle of Germantown. The other is of the private struggles for self-determination led by numerous enslaved servants at Cliveden and at the Chew plantations in Maryland and Delaware.
Constitution High School – 18 S. 7th Street
Founded in 2006, Constitution High School is the only history themed high school in Pennsylvania. Their emphasis is on active citizenship, knowledge of history, and democratic deliberation. There will be a debate by these students on John Brown at AAMP on December 5
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation– 30 S. 17th Street , Suite 1710
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and its surrounding countryside a premier destination through marketing and image-building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality.
Drexel University
Africana Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, Drexel University – 3141 Chestnut Street
Africana Studies at Drexel University is an exciting interdisciplinary field that offers students the opportunity to explore history, culture, and politics throughout the African Diaspora. Africana Studies is a department of The College of Arts and Sciences, a key provider and innovator for the education of virtually all Drexel students at various points in their careers.
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania – 1300 Locust Street
The HSP is one of the nation’s oldest historical societies and one of its largest family history libraries. Following a complete merger with the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, it stands as a leading repository of immigrant and ethnic history, second only to the Library of Congress for material on the nation’s founding, and is a comprehensive destination for genealogical study. With approximately 21 million records including manuscripts, graphics, and books, HSP is an invaluable resource for historical research.
The Library Company of Philadelphia – 1314 Locust Street
The Library Company of Philadelphia is an independent research library specializing in American history and culture from the 17th through the 19th centuries. It houses an extensive non-circulating collection of rare books, manuscripts, broadsides, ephemera, prints, photographs, and works of art. The mission of the Library Company is to preserve, interpret, make available, and augment the valuable materials within its care.
Millicent Sparks Productions, Inc., – 5920 Wayne Ave
Millicent Sparks Productions, Inc. (MSPI) creates and produces exciting and thought-provoking living history performance programs. These productions bring American history alive and highlight the struggles and triumphs of Africans in America. MSPI uses professional actors committed to authentic portrayals of historical figures, thereby helping audiences to better reconstruct and interpret the past.
The Moonstone Arts Center – 110A S. 13th Street
The Moonstone Arts Center promotes creative exchange through diverse cultural programs. Each year Moonstone produces over 200 programs of poetry, author readings, music, theater and film at our location in Center City, Philadelphia, as well as organizing collaborative programs such as Thomas Paine: The Forgotten Founding Father and John Brown: 150 Years Later. We believe that the arts, creativity, and imagination are essential aspects of life, learning and community. The Moonstone Arts Center is a division of Moonstone Inc., which also operates the Moonstone School in South Philadelphia.
Mother Bethel AME Church – 419 S 6th Street
Reverend Richard Allen, along with wealthy sail maker James Forten and the Reverend Absalom Jones, founded the Free African Society, laying the groundwork for human and civil rights organizations to come. The church, which stands on the oldest parcel of African-American-owned land, was a major hub on the Underground Railroad, providing shelter, aid and a beacon of hope to freedom seekers. Well-known abolitionists such as Harriet Tubman spoke here.
National Archives at Philadelphia – 9th & Chestnut
The National Archives at Philadelphia is a branch of the National Archives of the United States’ nationwide system of public facilities for archival research and public programming. The Philadelphia archival holdings include some of the most significant official evidence of the tensions within the nation to address slavery and inequality and have American democracy apply to everyone.
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts –
118 N. Broad Street
Founded in 1805, PAFA is America’s oldest continually operating school of fine arts. A recipient of the 2005 National Medal of Arts, the Academy is a recognized leader in fine arts education. The institution’s world-class collection of American art continues to grow and provides what only a few other art institutions in the world offer: the rare combination of an outstanding museum and an extraordinary faculty known for its commitment to students
Pennsylvania Humanities Council – 325 Chestnut Street, Suite 715
The Pennsylvania Humanities Council inspires individuals to enjoy and share a life of learning enriched by human experience across time and around the world. The John Brown: 150 Years Later program is funded by the Our Stories, Our Future initiative on American history, which is funded in turn by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of We The People, a national initiative exploring the history of the United States. Since 1973, the PHC has empowered local groups to offer high-quality public programs that have a positive impact on the everyday life of their communities.
