The Philadelphia Black Metropolis Walking Tour

Based on the 1838 Census of the Free Black community in HSP’s collection, this walking tour will explore the Center City Philadelphia streets that housed a thriving metropolis of free Black Philadelphians nearly 200 years ago. It revealed almost 19,000 free Black people who created 16 churches, 23 public and private schools, 80 beneficial societies, 300 Black owned businesses and possessed over $40,000,000 in wealth. Join members of the Black Docent Collective to walk through the spaces where people lived, worshipped, attended school and supported charities and social causes, including Emancipation. The tour will visit known Underground Railroad sites, such as William Still’s house.

The walking tour departs from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and will cover an area approximately just over one mile; it will conclude two blocks from its starting point. In the case of bad weather, a cancellation decision will be made by 8 PM on Friday evening, and a refund will be issued. Light rain will not cause a cancellation.

Speakers’ Bios:

Morgan Lloyd (she/her) is a Mellon Curatorial Fellow at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in American Art. She is also the lead interpreter and coordinator for the docent, volunteer guide, and internship programs at the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Lloyd is a frequent guest educator and advisor for private k-12 academic programs, universities, and small institutions across the country. In her spare time, she curates pop-up exhibitions and assists other Black & Brown folks reconnecting with their ancestors through genealogical research.

Michiko Quinones is a co-founder of the Black Docent Collective, a community of docents who are passionate and knowledgeable of Black Philadelphia history. She has been a docent in Philadelphia for over 12 years at the African American Museum in Philadelphia and the Rosenbach Museum. She is creator and co-host of the Philly People Now Deceased podcast, which focuses on untold histories of important Philadelphian’s that historiography has ignored.