Embedded Files
WE ARE ALL BOUND UP TOGETHER
In 1963, Dr. King reminded us that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Nearly 100 years earlier, Frances E. W. Harper — poet, speaker, abolitionist — stood in front of the 1866 National Women’s Rights Convention to declare, boldly, that not only are “we all bound up together,” but that “society cannot trample on the weakest and feeblest of its members without receiving the curse in its own soul.” In fact, it is these words that are highlighted in the mural on Greene Street Friends School's Armat building.
There is no way to understate how challenging the current threats to democracy, peace, and justice are right now. And many of us are searching for ways to forge meaningful paths forward. Dr. King's question — Where do we go from here? — is a demanding one but not a new one. In her own lifetime, and as a Black woman in the 19th century, Frances E. W. Harper no doubt also asked this question. Her life — her artistry and her activism — is a testimony to the powerful ways she responded to the injustices she witnessed and faced.
On January 19, GSFS' annual MLK Day of Action, join us for this free, public performance and community workshop highlighting the artistry and activism of Frances E. W. Harper.
Following the performance, and in the spirit of Dr. King, we will turn our attention to actionable steps for change in our communities.
FREE • OPEN TO THE PUBLIC • BRING A FRIEND OR NEIGHBOR!
PROGRAM DETAILS
9 to 9:30 - Introductions, Coffee
9:30 to 10:30 - Performance: "The Artistry and Activism of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper"
10:30 to 11 - Talk-back
11 to 12 - Workshop and Action Steps
12 to 1 - Volunteer opportunity
The performance is open to all. Special children's programming for GSFS families is also available.
Photo credit: SAW Photography
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
The Artistry and Activism of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper portrays Harper’s multiple accomplishments through a choreographic, multidisciplinary production. Directed by Lynnette Young Overby, the program brings to life Harper's poetry, novels, lectures and enduring legacy that not only informs us of the impactful life she lived from 1825-1911 – but is relevant to the challenges we face today. The production, includes her poems Blessed Hope, Slave Mother, and Sketches of a Southern Life. Her novel, Iola Leroy; short story, The Two Offers; and her lecture, We are All Bound Up Together are also included in the program. Additionally, there are original poems by Glenis Redmond and Original music by Ralph Russell, David Horton and Vianne Reay.
The 12 performers include current and former University of Delaware students as well as local community and professional performers. Seven choreographers have created dances that are evocative and illuminate the meaning of Harper's work and life. Sheria Benn, a professional actress who has previously performed a solo work based on Frances Harper's life, embodies Harper as she weaves together the various suites in this program. The production concludes with an adapted version of Every Time I Feel the Spirit, by Arreon Harley-Emerson, Performed by his award-winning choir - Elevate Vocal Arts.
The program runs approximately 60 minutes.
Learn more about the performance HERE.
Frances Harper - Short Video.movWORKSHOP & ACTION STEPS
Following the performance, we will discuss lessons we can learn from Harper's activism, consider her legacy in the context of MLK Day, and determine what guidance we can take from the past to make meaningful change today.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
For GSFS families and friends, there will be a volunteer opportunity after the program. Volunteers will help support the launch of a Germantown mutual aid market for the community this spring.
LEARN MORE ABOUT FRANCES E. W. HARPER
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911) was an author and activist whose groundbreaking legacy has been foundational for Black women writers and organizers alike. Born free in Baltimore, orphaned at an early age, and adopted into her activist uncle’s household, she grew up to become the most popular Black poet and prolific Black novelist of the nineteenth century. This exhibit honors Harper as a seasoned activist, a woman anti-slavery speaker, a Black woman in higher education, a writer, as co-founder of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), and as an organizational leader in the movements for Black and women’s political rights and dignity. > LEARN MORE
Mural Arts and PSU’s Center for Black Digital Research/#DigBlk will dedicate a powerful and inspiring mural, Frances E. W. Harper: We Are All Bound Up Together, honoring the life and legacy of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825–1911), poet, orator, abolitionist, suffragist, and one of the most influential Black women of the 19th century. > READ ON
When artist Athena Scott got a job with Mural Arts Philadelphia to design a mural in honor of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, she had never heard of the 19th-century suffragist and abolitionist. > READ ON
Mural Arts Philadelphia debuted a new public art piece at Greene Street Friends School in Germantown on Thursday that celebrates Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, an acclaimed poet and abolitionist. > READ ON
To celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of acclaimed poet, novelist, orator, and activist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Mural Arts Philadelphia and Penn State’s Center for Black Digital Research/#DigBlk have unveiled a new mural, “Frances E.W. Harper: We Are All Bound Up Together,” at Greene Street Friends School in Germantown. > READ ON
ABOUT GREENE STREET FRIENDS SCHOOL
Since 1855, Greene Street Friends School has educated children according to the Quaker principles of honesty, respect for the individual, peace and simplicity. That tradition of innovation continues today with an emphasis on hands-on learning, peaceful methods of conflict resolution, cultural understanding, community service, environmental education and the thoughtful incorporation of technology into the curriculum. Strong fundamentals and ethical strength prepare our students for a rapidly changing world and enable them to succeed with enthusiasm for learning and for life. > LEARN MORE
If you have any questions, please contact Tricia Ebarvia, Greene Street Friends School Director of DEI, tebarvia@greenestreetfriends.org
Page updated
Report abuse