Philadelphia Yearly Meeting staff attended the 189th Founders’ Day Celebration at Cheyney University, where they were welcomed in a spirit of partnership and mutual thriving. Founders’ Day honors Cheyney’s roots as the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the United States and its enduring legacy of Black excellence.
PYM’s reconnection with Cheyney creates a full-circle moment. Cheyney’s founding was made possible in part through a $10,000 bequest from Richard Humphreys, a Quaker philanthropist. Returning to Cheyney for Annual Sessions this year to continues to honor that Quaker connection to the site and signals a renewed season of warmth and collaboration between the university and our Quaker community.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting will hold Annual Sessions from Wednesday, July 22 through Sunday, July 26 on the campus of Cheyney University. Friends will gather for worship, business, and shared time across the yearly meeting. The theme, Members One of Another, names the relationships that connect Friends across meetings and generations. Cheyney’s long history invites reflection on how Friends live our testimonies together in the present day.
Friends are also invited to take part in Spring Continuing Sessions on March 13 – 15, 2026. For more information about Sessions, contact Tara Rubinstein at trubinstein@pym.org or (215) 241-7228.
Video of 189th Founders’ Day Celebration at Cheyney University
