Series explores history of Underground Railroad in Philadelphia

This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.

The history of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia will be honored throughout October with a citywide series of events presented by the Moonstone Arts Center.

Recounting the period from 1830 to 1870 in Philadelphia, the month-long series will offer programs on the Underground Railroad and highlight many individuals who fought against slavery during that time.

“There are 22 events that include screenings of ‘The William Still Story’ at neighborhood libraries, lectures, panel discussions, storytelling and music on various aspects of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia,” wrote John Lavin in an email. Lavin is a Moonstone Arts Center member and teacher at Kensington International Business High School.

“Forty thousand of the 100,000 people who escaped slavery traveled through Philadelphia (this is an estimate since we will never know the full story) making us a center of this historic human rights struggle,” he said.

The series, which began Sept. 29, runs through Nov. 2. The Moonstone Arts Center promotes creative exchange through diverse cultural programs. Each year, Moonstone produces more than 200 public events, including poetry, author appearances, music, theater and film, at its location in Center City.

“The Moonstone tradition is a continuum unifying the sources of learning including libraries, museums, universities, labor unions’ training and the faith traditions’ education programs,” said Lavin.

“The effect has been to set students and teachers in motion together within the Philadelphia Public Schools and beyond.”

Some of the upcoming programs in the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia series include:

• Follow the Drinking Gourd – Did Your Family Travel on the Underground Railroad? Meet relatives of Frederick Douglass, William Still, and others. Oct. 15
  Historic Overview of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia, a lecture by Charles L. Blockson. Hear about how Blockson’s enslaved relatives were assisted by legendary conductors Harriet Tubman and William Still on their way to freedom. Oct. 15
  The Underground Railroad, the Civil Rights Movement & Today. Hear and learn about the Abolition Movement and Civil Rights Movement. Oct. 15
  Stories from the Underground Railroad: A Family Program. A one-hour program using picture books, story books, and the Tides of Freedom Exhibit to tell about the brave people who risked their lives for freedom. Oct. 18
  Robert Purvis & the Philadelphia Vigilant Committee. Robert Purvis helped found the American Anti-Slavery Society and traveled through England speaking for the abolitionist cause. Oct. 21
  William Still & the Philadelphia Vigilant Committee. William Still was a son of former slaves who once worked as clerk in the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society during the 1840s. Oct. 22
  Women in Revolt: Stepping into the World & the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society. This organization brought together activist women of Philadelphia, including Lucretia Mott, Sarah Pugh, and Mary Ann McClintock. Oct. 23

Tours of the Underground Railroad sites in Germantown and Center City will also begin this month.

“You can go almost every day on a trip through the tales of courage and determination that recount Philadelphians who fought against slavery,” said Lavin.

The Underground Railroad in Philadelphia series is the ninth program in Moonstone’s Hidden History Project, which according to Moonstone’s website, “looks at the life and work of activists who struggled in the streets to make the United States live up to its promise of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness for everyone regardless of race, class, gender or anything else.”

The series is dedicated to Charles L. Blockson, author of several books on African American history and the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.

A 20-page newspaper describing this series is available at most Philadelphia libraries and from Moonstone. To get a copy, call 215-735-9600 or email larry@moonstoneartscenter.org.

For more information on all the events in this month’s series, visit Moonstone Arts Center’s website.

Shannon Nolan is an intern at the Notebook.