Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Addressing Racism

Juneteenth and the Continued Journey Toward Equality | Addressing Racism Collaborative

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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. [Read more…] about Juneteenth and the Continued Journey Toward Equality | Addressing Racism Collaborative

This Monstrous Law! Robert and Harriet Purvis and the Fugitive Slave Act

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he Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia and Millicent Sparks Productions invite the public to witness a performance that portrays three legendary Philadelphians from the city’s rich 19th-century Black history.  

This Monstrous Law! Robert and Harriet Purvis and the Fugitive Slave Act is a recreation of a historic protest of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law, which compelled everyday citizens to assist in capturing enslaved people seeking their freedom. Living history performers portray abolitionists Robert Purvis and Harriet Forten Purvis, who boldly responded to the inhumane law by rallying local citizens to defy it. A portrayal of celebrated concert singer Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, “The Black Swan,” lends melodic power to the production. 

Philadelphia Firsts: First public protest against enslavement in America

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[Resubmitting. I know it’s not a “Quaker” event per se, but it’s about a critical event in history that Quakers take credit for all the time. I hope you can post what I previously submitted. Thank you! — Chris Mohr] Long before the Civil War, Philadelphians took a stand. Commemorate the bold 1688 petition by Mennonites and German Quakers, the first recorded public protest against slavery in America, and reflect on a legacy of conscience and courage.

Queries from the Addressing Racism Collaborative

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The following is attributed to the Addressing Racism Collaborative of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

Racism affects all of us. It is part of our society and all of our institutions. Without efforts to notice and change how issues of race and dominance work in our — in any — society, we continue to do harm. It becomes part of the way we do things, and so our ways need to be examined to rid them of systemic racism.

[Read more…] about Queries from the Addressing Racism Collaborative

General Secretary Holding Listening Sessions on Yearly Meeting-Wide Witnesses

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Chris Mohr, General Secretary of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, led a listening session over Zoom during the Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting (PQM) session this past Sunday, January 25. The day, originally planned to be hybrid, was fully virtual due to snow.

[Read more…] about General Secretary Holding Listening Sessions on Yearly Meeting-Wide Witnesses

Hives of Activity: Collaboratives in PYM

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Collaboratives are hives of activity in the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting community. Friends work and meet together around shared interests or concerns. All Friends are welcome to join an existing collaborative or start a new one. If joining a collaborative isn’t the right fit at the moment, you can still engage with and support their work by attending events or sharing information. [Read more…] about Hives of Activity: Collaboratives in PYM

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