Authorship attributed to Joan Broadfield, member of Addressing Racism Collaborative.
All around our Quaker meetings there are institutions in the communities celebrating the African American past and present, and June is a month to learn and visit. Consider the meaning of Juneteenth, a day that African Americans celebrate to recognize the end of the civil war and the beginning path to equality. Quaker history has not always reflected a testimony of true equality. By putting Juneteenth in all our lives as an important time, we expand our sense of shared community. Consider the larger history that those of us who are of European heritage may not viscerally feel. Growing up at an HBCU in my white family, being part of that community, I learned more than I realized, and it feels part of me. We need that for our Quaker community.
Now, with the summer almost here, think about these places and people who helped Quakers get closer to whom we were meant to be
In Bucks County, the recently reopened African American Museum of Bucks County celebrated Juneteenth on June 6! https://www.aamuseumbucks.org/ But still lots to see!!
Celebrating Juneteenth may not reflect the calendar date. In places, like my city of Chester and Media in Delco PA, it’s celebrated around June 19th. Watch for festivals at African American churches.
Do you know the connection between the Underground Railroad and Quakers in the Kennett Square area? Check out Kennett Underground Railroad Center.
Why Kennet? Their website says: “Chester County, Pennsylvania, shares its southern boundary with Delaware and is close to the Maryland border. Both Delaware and Maryland were slave states, so self-liberators from those states, or from the lower South, needed to keep moving north to reach freedom. ”
We know that Pennsylvania, sadly, was home to enslaved people, even tho not called a slave state, like Maryland and Delaware. Now, see the sites in these two states:
- Delaware offers a website covering Harriet Tubman and Quaker Thomas Garrett with information about the Kennett center.
- In Maryland, two opportunities: a National Park and a state site to guide folks through the trail.
- And Frederick Douglas, born in Talbot County, Maryland, is honored with a site that has self driving tour guides.
In New Jersey, the Still family has a legacy to learn from and celebrate. James Still worked with Harriet Tubman – and did you know Harriet Tubman made her home in Cape May for a period? See more about the Still family here and use Juneteenth to visit the Harriet Tubman museum.
We’ve also been hearing about walks, and the work of reparations in areas, like Philadelphia. A task force doing the work is circulating information. Meetings in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are working on ideas… we’ll share that at another time. Meanwhile, this may provide some information to help us think about the issue for our communities: https://phlcouncil.com/reparations/
Joan Broadfield, Addressing Racism Collaborative
