History A Performance of Freedom The policing of Black bodies began as soon as there was a Philadelphia. Nathaniel Popkin traces this long history and suggests how today’s protests continue and also defy it
History Discovering Louisa Charlotte Burr: Abolitionist, Mother, and Unsung Hero Keshler Thibert introduces us to Louisa Charlotte Burr, a little-know abolitionist who worked behind the scenes to better the lives and empower African Americans
Preservation Meaning and Memory: Making a Place for Culture in Historic Preservation People are drawn to places that resonate with meaning and memory, for themselves and for the diverse cultural legacies they represent. Protecting such sites challenges historic preservationists to rethink assumptions and update time-honored conventions and tools. Starr Herr-Cardillo has more
Preservation Hope and Despair Surround Philly’s African American Landmarks The majority of Philadelphia’s Black historic sites remain at risk despite grassroots preservation efforts and historic designations. Kimberly Haas has the details
City Life Playing on Hallowed Ground: Hidden Cemeteries and the Modern City Underneath many of Philadelphia’s community playgrounds lay the remains of burial grounds lost in relocation. Kimberly Haas takes a look at this oddly common confluence of the living and the dead
History Exploring the Rizzo Boycott of 1967 Amy Cohen takes a look back at a student protest that erupted in police brutality and the “Black Christmas” boycott to remove Frank Rizzo
History New Book Recounts Five Free Philadelphia Boys Kidnapped into Slavery Author Richard Bell tells the story of Sam, Joe, Cornelius, Enos, and Alex and their harrowing abduction in the 1820s by slave catchers
History Honoring Universal Suffrage & the Election Day Riots of 1871 As Philly polling stations prepare for Tuesday’s municipal elections, Amy Cohen takes a look at the local election of 1871 that ended in racial violence and political upheaval
