2022: Philadelphia

MoAR Core Galleries Highlights Tour

[Session #1.a.]

Facilitator: Linda Dean, Teacher Resource Developer, MoAR

Facilitator: Michael Hensinger, Manager of School Programs, MoAR

MoAR Virtual Museum Tour and Virtual Tour of Washington's Field Headquarters

Setting the Stage: Slavery and Experiences of the Enslaved in British Colonial America

[Session #1.b.]

Facilitator: Marisa Fuentes, Ph.D., Presidential Term Chair in African American History and Associate Professor of History and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Rutgers University; her book, Dispossessed Lives: Enslaved Women, Violence, and the Archive

Professor Fuentes discusses: the role of the Portuguese, the Pope's Asiento, the Barbados Slave Act of 1861, the intensity of labor in the Caribbean colonies, mentioning the Maroon Wars in Jamaica, and capitalism's beginning in the slave trade. A resource she references is the Slave Voyages database.

Revolutionary Philadelphia Walking Tour

[Session #1.c.]

Facilitator: Tyler Putman, Ph.D., Senior Manager of Gallery Interpretation, MoAR

The tour begins with an examination a printed copy of the painting Pepper Pot: A Scene in the Philadelphia Market; what are our observations?, what might it reflect?, etc. This map, A plan of the city of Philadelphia, the capitol of Pennsylvania, from an actual survey is a reference for the area of the city in which we conducted our walking tour.

Note: This experience includes travel between multiple sites within Philadelphia’s historic 18th century Old City neighborhood. Comfortable shoes are strongly recommended.

Enlightenment Ideals and the Revolution: An Exploration with Artifacts

[Session #1.d.]

Facilitator: Phil Mead, Ph.D., Chief Historian, MoAR

Use of objects for the Museum of the American Revolution's Collections to talk through the concept of “Liberty”.

Professor Meade focuses his presentation of history with the distinction between liberty and freedom. Particular liberties: privileges of who one is, particular situation one finds themself in, inherent qualities (gender, ethnicity, age) -- defined by law and created by human institutions. Common law: (inherited accumulation of law) and statutory law (adopted by the crown and the parliament of England) not universal principles. Mentioning that British common law did not follow the British flag. Winding down the session with an examination of objects/artifacts.

“So Pious an Institution”: Slavery, Education, Religion, and America’s Bray Schools

[Session #2.a.]

Facilitator: Nicole Brown, Bray School Lab Assistant, Office of Strategic Cultural Partnerships, College of William and Mary.

Focusing on colonial Virginia, Brown leads by asking the question, "What is religion and education in the colonial experience?" Religion is a branch of the government during this time. Bray School is a pro-slavery school that educates slaves; Thomas Bray 1658-1730.

Independence Hall Tour

[Session #2.b.]

Facilitators: Renee Albertoli, Interpretive Specialist, and Larry McClenney, Ranger, Independence National Historical Park.

Renee and Larry begin with us under the cover of shade along the tower of Independence Hall asking questions that launched into the storied history of the interactions, conversations, decisions, and events that occurred here in Philadelphia regarding liberty. During the tour, space/place and objects were points of emphasis. Note: Comfortable shoes are strongly recommended.

Creating Charleston: Free and Enslaved People of African Descent in the Life of the City

[Session #2.c.]

Facilitator: Dr. Emma Hart, Professor of History and Richard S. Dunn Director, The McNeil Center for Early American Studies.

Focusing on Charleston, South Carolina, Dr. Hart indicated that there was no American city that did not have enslaved and free blacks. By 1663, Anthony Ashley Cooper (First Earl of Shaftesbury) and his constituents came up with a plan for the Carolinas -- developing a charter; John Locke contributed to the process. As time progresses, Charles Towne is fortified and serves as a bulwark against the Spanish from creeping further north. Slaves were held on Sullivan's Island; slave pens were not really in Charles Towne. During the 1750s, the Yamasee War, nearly wipes out the city. Professor Hart's expertise is shared through her research in, Building Charleston: Town and Society in the Eighteenth-century British Atlantic World.

People of African Descent as Revolutionaries

[Session #2.d.]

Facilitator: Phil Mead, Ph.D., Chief Historian, MoAR

Our discussion begins with the correspondence and relationship between the brilliant Phillis Wheatley and Samson Occom of the Mohegon tribe. Shifting to New England as a less profitable part of the kingdom, with the exception of Newport which had large horse farms. He asked the group to consider: society with slaves vs society of slaves; following by emphasizing that business drove this aspect of society. Congregationalist ministers and some of the Quaker adherents, end relationships with people involved in the slave business as the decision is more about the moral purification of oneself due to fear of hypocrisy. Quantifying population, five thousand blacks are documented as serving in the revolutionary army. George Washington cycles his slaves in the Philadelphia area, back down to Virginia in order to avoid having their status become free black people as there were differences among state laws. Dr. Meade concluded his insightful talk with the experiences of Elizabeth Freeman and Quock Walker and the legal end of slavery in Massachusetts.

Sneak Peek: Patriots of Color Archive: Black and Indigenous Soldiers in the

Revolutionary War

[Session #2.e.]

Facilitator: Dr. Scott Stephenson, President and CEO, MoAR

Dr. Stephenson highlights the Museum of the American Revolution's document archive by featuring: Black and Indigenous Soldiers in the Revolutionary War paired with Judith Van Buskirk's, Standing in their Own Light; adding Jeffrey Brace's book The Blind African Slave (also freely accessible through a University of North Carolina database) as well as John Rees' ‘They Were Good Soldiers’: African–Americans Serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783 to our repertoire.

Estate Tour

[Session #3.a.]

Don Francisco, Resident Fifer and history interpreter educating visitors about the role of fife and drum music during the American Revolution; music of the Revolution. Don Francisco lead the group from the lawn, to George Washington's tomb, then the Slave Memorial. Don shared that the enslaved workday was from "cantsee to cantsee" (sunup to sundown); working in a house people who were enslaved would be up earlier to prepare for the owners to wake up then stay up later to close up after plantation or home owners decided to retire.

Enslaved at Mount Vernon Tour

[Session #3.b.]

Anette Aherns, Senior Interpreter Supervisor at George Washington's Mount Vernon. Anette plunges into the sea of history, amplifying relationships and decisions about the experiences of the enslaved, navigating the group through the Gardens, over to the slave quarters, other stops, then finishing on the South Lane. Anette left us with the option to virtually explore Mount Vernon in greater detail through the Lives Bound Together exhibit. Among Anette's talking points: Interpretations change through time as information is revealed by different researchers and curators through different times and at different locations—-encouraging the group to bear in mind that there can be inconsistencies when at different historic locations.

Mansion

[Session #3.c.]

Walking tour of the mansion: beginning the servant's hall, proceeding through the first and second floors of the main house, then finishing in the kitchen.

Contemporary Perspectives w/ American Airlines

[Session #4.a.]

Adam Robinson [MoAR corporate teams officer];

American Airlines Corporate Ambassadors:

Lakshman Amaranayaka [VP of American Airlines PHL];

Philip Dupree [Managing Director, Customer Care];

Obra Kernodle (Obie) [Director, Government Affairs];

Tim Airey [Director, Flight PHL];

DJ Westbrock [Director, Tower Operations];

Gina Harness [executive assistant to the VP];

Ciara Atchley [executive assistant to the Director of Customer Care];

Yu Lee [Managing Director, Customer Operations];

Lori Derstine [HR Manager];

AndrewTrull [Corporate Communications]

Lakshman shared his journey with some professional highlights, listened to life experiences from the group, and amplified a message of finding purpose with people; all while presenting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of American Airlines locally and nationally. American Airlines PHL: 10k team members, 68% of front-line team members are black. How people feel can open the door to one's experiences and the opportunity to understand. For the corporation, it’s a point of pride to contribute or be a small part of when they can do. Employee business resource groups (EBRGs), American Airlines leads the industry with this and possible leads this among the Fortune 500. Among the most poignant moments was when an individual shared: I didn't know how to have that conversation -- that human experience -- how do you approach helping people relearn?

“Sometimes Freedom Wore a Red Coat”: People of African Descent Seeking Freedom with the British

[Session #4.b.]

Facilitator: Gregory J.W. Urwin, Ph. D., Professor of History, Temple University

Virginia tobacco is the leading crop for prosperity. The frustrating campaigns in the Carolinas taught Cornwallis to keep the British forces moving to strike the rebels (we can be anywhere and everywhere -- beware) -- strike terror into the inhabitants; increase mobility to minimize the impact of guerrilla tactics. For enslaved people, freedom wore a red coat; Cornwallis freed black slaves (to unnerve the rebels). However, Cornwallis would return slaves to slave owners who would demonstrate their loyalty to the King. Runaways would act as spies or guides and delivered horses to the British -- serving as military laborers; served as stevedores at port and earthwork forming barriers and bunkers; Cornwallis did not intend to liberate slaves.

Workshop: Moving Beyond Binaries in Understanding Historical Figures

[Session #4.c.]

Facilitator: Richard M. Josey, Jr., Founder/Principal Consultant, Collective Journeys LLC

Mr. Posey opened with a purposeful question: What kind of ancestor will you be? Whatever decision you come up with or make, it will last for several generations; how one approaches things is about asking appropriate questions. How do individuals move forward when they are spending so much of their focus dwelling on the rear-view mirror (history/past) -- they often drive themselves off the road if they're hyper-focused. Diversity of experience: someone can have twenty white men in a space and still have diversity. If people don't recognize that, they're not getting it because if you have twenty black men in a space, you also have diversity; everyone is unique and distinct. Inclusion is less about one's feelings and more about one's behavior. Is it about what is right or what is appropriate? Circle back to mission, vision, values to make decisions. When a person experiences trauma, it informs their relationships with different things and people; trauma can cloud one's perspective. The group was encouraged to: spend more time looking in the mirror than looking out the window. “In order to do the good work, you have to be good to yourself.”

Workshop: Principles, Ground Rules and Techniques of Civil Dialogue: Classroom Applications

[Session #4.d.]

Facilitator: Harris Sokoloff, PhD, Co-Founder, Catalyst Community Conversations, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania

A key question to ask is: what do you/students do with the information you/students know? Educate students for the world they’re going to grow into; not the world of today. Two questions that were posed for the group to consider. 1) What role do emotions play in managing the relationship between knowledge and understanding? 2) What role do emotions play in managing the relationship between understanding and wisdom? Following from the two questions, people can have the emotions, yet don’t let it/them control one's behavior. A quote from Michael Sandel was shared, "Together we can come to find a wisdom that we could not find alone." People work hardest to implement that which they had a hand in planning. Design talk to lead to action. Consider Principle Four: Listen with the same passion with which you hope to be heard. Followed by Principle Five: Begin with a story, not position; positions set people up to argue. Instead of listening to respond, listen to hear. It's about being in relation instead of about being right; it’s about connection -- not waiting to hear one's own voice.

Christ Church

[Session #4.e.]

Meet James Forten, Performance and Discussion: Living history acting of James Forten portrayed by Nathan Alford-Tate and discussion facilitated by Michael Idriss.

On location at historic Christ Church for an impressive live performance.

Collections and Exhibitions Rotation

[Session #5.a.+b.]

3rd Floor Classroom:

Preview of Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia

Facilitator: Matthew Skic, Curator of Exhibitions, MoAR

James Forten, a sail maker, becomes among the most wealthy black Americans. People of African heritage who were seeking their freedom were seen as a drain on municipal resources. 75% of Philadelphia's black population at the time lived around Cedar/South Street area between ~9th and 2nd streets as it was cheaper housing and the neighborhood was not quite segregated.

Ground Floor Collections:

Collections Exploration

Facilitators: Mark Turdo, Curator of Collection, MoAR and Kathryn Lynch, Collections Manager, MoAR

Photogrammetry is 360 degree photo-imaging.

Intersection of Heritage Sites, Slavery, and Commemoration

[Session #5.c.]

Facilitator: Zabeth Teelucksingh, Executive Director, Global Philadelphia Association

Philadelphia was a second tier city, not of the caliber that London, New York City, nor Paris was. For Philadelphia, the World Heritage Site is Independence Hall; while this is often considered a historic centerpiece of the city there are many more National Historic locations in the city. Philadelphia public art is an object for its sustainable development goals (SDGs); Philadelphia Mural Arts spearheads the effort. To gain perspective, a location outside of the United States that was discussed was Sambo's Grave. International Sites and Monuments Day is celebrated April 18th.

A Living Legacy: Music and Conversation with Drum Master Sangue

[Session #5.d.]

Musician: Sangue, Drum Master, Musician, Teacher, and Dancer