Black Philadelphia Neighborhood Experience (SELECT ONE)

Saturday, August 22 (12 pm – 4 pm) 

Black Philadelphia Neighborhood Experience (SELECT ONE)

Led by the Preserving Black Presence Cohort, this immersive afternoon excursion invites attendees to explore the rich history, culture, and contemporary landscape of Black Philadelphia. Beginning at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, participants will receive an introduction to the city’s Black heritage before departing on one of four curated neighborhood experiences. Attendees must select one neighborhood track to explore, with each experience featuring historic sites, cultural landmarks, local businesses, community stories, and opportunities to engage directly with neighborhood leaders and preservation advocates.

Each guided experience will highlight the people, places, and stories that have shaped Black Philadelphia across generations. The excursion is designed to provide attendees with a deeper understanding of the city’s neighborhoods through a place-based learning experience rooted in preservation, community engagement, and cultural memory.

Select from curated neighborhood tours highlighting:

North Philadelphia has long served as one of America's most influential centers of Black intellectual thought, artistic expression, spiritual leadership, and social justice. This immersive excursion explores the neighborhoods where music became a movement, churches became organizing centers, and educators, artists, and activists transformed the cultural landscape of Philadelphia. Guided by members of the Preserving Black Presence Cohort, attendees will visit historic landmarks while discovering the stories of visionaries whose influence continues to shape generations.

Possible Highlights Include:

• Freedom Theatre
• Uptown Theater
• Church of the Advocate
• Zion Baptist Church
• Temple University Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection
• John Coltrane House
• Strawberry Mansion
• Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club
• Dell Music Center

Long before emancipation, Germantown stood as a beacon of resistance, refuge, and possibility. This excursion traces the footsteps of abolitionists, educators, artists, and everyday citizens who challenged injustice while cultivating one of Philadelphia's earliest free Black communities. Through historic homes, museums, cultural institutions, and neighborhood gathering spaces, participants will explore how freedom was imagined, protected, and passed from one generation to the next.

Possible Highlights Include:

• Johnson House Historic Site
• Stenton
• Sun Ra House
• The Colored Girls Museum
• Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books
• Ubuntu Fine Art
• Lest We Forget Museum

West Philadelphia tells the story of a community continually reinventing itself through education, entrepreneurship, artistic excellence, and civic leadership. This experience highlights the innovators, activists, athletes, educators, and entrepreneurs whose work has shaped Philadelphia and inspired movements across the nation. Attendees will experience vibrant commercial corridors, public art, historic institutions, and community spaces that continue to cultivate Black excellence today.

Possible Highlights Include:

• Paul Robeson House
• Negro Leagues Historic Site
• Hakim's Bookstore
• Black Bottom Mural
• Malcolm X Park
• MOVE Activist Archive
• African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas
• Belmont Mansion
• 40th & Lancaster / New Africa Center

South Philadelphia celebrates the everyday people whose extraordinary leadership transformed music, journalism, faith, education, sports, and neighborhood life. From Marian Anderson's groundbreaking legacy to the birthplace of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the rich history of the Seventh Ward, this excursion explores the enduring institutions and cultural landmarks that continue to define Black Philadelphia. Participants will discover how generations of residents built thriving communities grounded in resilience, creativity, and collective action.

Possible Highlights Include:

• Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church & Seventh Ward
• Marian Anderson Historic Site
• Christian Street YMCA
• Clef Club of Jazz
• Tindley Temple
• President's House Historic Site
• Washington Square / Congo Square
• Yowie Hotel & South Street
• Universal Neighborhood
• CAPA / Black Thought Mural

Registration includes transportation, admission to featured sites and experiences, and a signature sweet or savory local treat inspired by the neighborhood you're exploring.

For more information, please visit:  https://blackmuseums.org/aaam2026-excursions/

No refunds provided.