Western Quarterly Meeting and West Chester University’s African American Studies Program are coming together to celebrate Juneteenth and honor the life and legacy of civil rights leader Bayard Rustin—a Chester County native, committed Quaker, and key architect of the modern nonviolent protest movement. [Read more…] about Quakerly Juneteenth Read on Bayard Rustin
Quaker History
Providence Friends Meeting Added to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program
The Providence Friends Meeting in Media, Pennsylvania, is among 31 new listings added by the National Park Service to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. The new listings join more than 800 sites, facilities and programs already in the network that provide insight into the diverse experiences of freedom seekers who bravely escaped slavery and allies who assisted them. [Read more…] about Providence Friends Meeting Added to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program
Art as Resistance: “The Return” Brings Quakers Another Chance to Know Benjamin Lay” | Radnor Friends Meeting
Authorship attributed to Friends from Radnor Friends Meeting
Opening night for The Return of Benjamin Lay in Philadelphia was fabulous!
Our field trip group carpooled from the Radnor Friends meetinghouse, and enjoyed vegan soul food at the Nile Cafe before the show. Jai A., who recently completed the Benjamin Lay Fellowship, was in the group. Author-historian and co-playwright Marcus Rediker stopped by and gave us an intro, setting our mental stages for what we were about to experience. [Read more…] about Art as Resistance: “The Return” Brings Quakers Another Chance to Know Benjamin Lay” | Radnor Friends Meeting
The Return of Benjamin Lay | Quintessence Theatre Group | Press Release
Press Release provided by Quintessence Theatre Group.
QUINTESSENCE THEATRE PRESENTS THE AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTION OF THE RETURN OF BENJAMIN LAY BY NAOMI WALLACE & MARCUS REDIKER
The one-man show is inspired by the life of radical revolutionary Benjamin Lay, an 18th-century Pennsylvanian Quaker who advocated for the abolition of slavery in the American colonies
[Read more…] about The Return of Benjamin Lay | Quintessence Theatre Group | Press Release
The PYM Library: An Opportunity for Community and Stewardship
The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Library, formally known as the Henry J. Cadbury Library, has been an important part of our community since the 1970s, offering valuable resources for Friends and the wider community. It houses a collection of materials, including books by Quaker authors, resources addressing modern and historical issues, and items for spiritual growth and discernment. The library has served PYM as a hub for individuals and monthly meetings seeking to deepen their faith, strengthen their community, and engage in social witness.
[Read more…] about The PYM Library: An Opportunity for Community and Stewardship
Fellowships at Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections 2025-2026
Applications for short-term Fellowships in Quaker & Special Collections at Haverford College are NOW OPEN! Fellowships must be used between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. Submission deadline is February 16, 2025. You can find more information on our website, which also includes our application form.
Fellows can utilize the vast array of original primary materials in Quaker & Special Collections around Quakerism, mental health, US history, and much more.
Please contact Sarah Horowitz at shorowitz@haverford.edu with any questions.
Image is of the diaries of Anna Spencer.
Fox Forward: 400 Years and Beyond
July 2024 marks the 400th birthday of Quakerism co-founder George Fox. For more than a year, Friends around the world have been pondering and planning how to celebrate the life and legacy of this 17th century spiritual leader. Fox was a gifted speaker who drew on his Christian faith to challenge societal injustice in his time, but he is not a “famous Friend” without aspects of his life and ministry that we are called to consider in the light of today. Almost four centuries after his public ministry shaped the beginnings of the Religious Society of Friends, across the globe Quakerism continues to evolve and contribute to our wider society. Shared here are available resources for summer celebrations and year-round learning about the legacy of George Fox at 400.
PYM’s Joey Leroux to Lead Tour of Philly’s Quaker Business Influencers
Join Joey Leroux, PYM’s new Director of Grantmaking & Data and co-founder of Beyond the Bell Tours, on Saturday, June 1, for Phriends Influencing Philly, a first-of-its-kind interesting and informative walk (with some surprises in store!) exploring Quaker business impacters in Philadelphia. Beyond the Bell Tours designs inclusive historical tours of Philadelphia highlighting people and communities typically left out of mainstream tourism. Joey holds a degree in Economics from Haverford College, where he was introduced to Quaker history in a course with Emma Lapsansky. He looks forward to sharing the hidden history of Philadelphia with you.
The group will start at Arch Street Meeting House for a light breakfast, departing for the tour at 9:30am featuring: Philadelphia’s Forgotten Founder, Hannah Callowhill Penn; Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, the first medical school in the world to offer medical degrees to women founded by Quakers in 1850; Anna T Jeanes, Quaker philanthropist still impacting Friends today; Strawbridge & Clothier, a Quaker business dedicated to service to customers, community, and employees; Dr. Caspar Wistar, physician and anatomist; the Legend of the Penn Treaty Elm; and more!
Accessibility: There are restrooms and benches along the route if needed. Wheelchairs and strollers are welcome. The tour aims to take the pace of a casual stroll and will last approximately an hour and a half. The walk will traverse concrete and brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets. There are no steps to climb once departed from ASMH, and curb cuts on and off sidewalks will be followed.
What to bring: This is a rain or shine event. Please come wearing weather-appropriate clothing, comfortable shoes, and water to stay hydrated.
The tour will conclude with fellowship, food, and continued fun at National Mechanics. The deadline to register is May 28 and there is a limited number of spots available.
Phriends Influencing Philly Details
Saturday, June 1, 2024
Coffee, tea, and a light breakfast, 9:00 am
Tour departs ASMH, at 9:30 am
Tour concludes with fellowship, food, and continued fun at National Mechanics at 11:00 am
Distance covered: The tour is approximately 1.5 miles long
Parking is available at Arch Street Meeting House
Cost: $50
(Includes breakfast and tour. Food at National Mechanics is not included.)
Young Adult Friends Cost: $35
(Use code “YAF” when registering)
Register here by May 28 to secure your spot!
Questions? Contact Merri Brown at mbrown@pym.org or 215 241 7115
Funding Opportunities from the Friends Historical Association
The Friends Historical Association is pleased to offer funding to support contributions to the field of Quaker history.
There are three grant opportunities: project support, publication subventions, and research funds.
All opportunities run on the same cycle, and applications are due May 15, 2024.
Details about each opportunity and application instruction are provided at https://www.quakerhistory.org/grants
Image: Library Assistant Linet Mmbone readies the space for the Africa Quaker Archives. Quaker Religious Education Collaborative (QREC) received a grant from FHA in 2020.
Spring Continuing Sessions REWIND
Continuing Sessions Rewind
Last weekend, Friends from across the four states of our PYM footprint came together for Spring Continuing Sessions. We learned, listened and felt the joyous presence of Spirit in community while we explored the 2024 Sessions theme, “Called to Healing.” Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business was held on Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, and minutes from business sessions will be on the website in coming days. Because the Annual Sessions schedule is shorter this summer (July 6-7), our times for business at Continuing Sessions weekends are being extended. [Read more…] about Spring Continuing Sessions REWIND
