Philadelphia Black History: The People’s Stories

About Philadelphia Black History: The People’s Stories

Philadelphia Black History: The People’s Stories was curated by The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy (OACCE) presents a Black History Month..The exhibit features the art of 44 local artists whose works are represented as vinyl square tiles respectfully arranged on the floors of multiple hallways in Philadelphia’s City Hall. Each square tile is a tribute to a Black Philadelphian who has passed away and whose memory has been elevated through art. They are the stories of family and community members, some more well known than others, but all contributed to the history of the African American experience in Philadelphia. These stories are remembered in the hallowed halls of Philadelphia’s historic City Hall, the People’s Building, where the voices of our diverse communities are amplified. Philadelphia Black History: The People’s Stories is inspired by the memory of the 5,000 forgotten souls buried at the rediscovered Bethel Burying Ground, a 19th century Black cemetery in the Queen Village neighborhood of Philadelphia, where an upcoming Public Art memorial by artist Karyn Olivier will incorporate stone pavers on the ground as part of her design to help tell their stories.

February 2024 - April 2024 (Philadelphia City Hall)

The Dream is Real (2024)

Toni Cade Bambara was a celebrated culture worker, activist, author, documentary filmmaker, and professor. Originally from New York City, she fought for Black liberation through her art and teachings, eventually making a home for herself in Germantown in 1985 until she died in 1995. At the start of her time in Philadelphia, Bambara wrote the script for and narrated The Bombing of Osage Avenue (1986). This documentary told the story of the police bombing of the MOVE compound on May 13, 1985. She also taught film-script writing at Scribe Video Center and supported the rise of Black independent cinema throughout the city. Beyond Bambara’s film work, she also continued to write books and screenplays while living in Philadelphia. Her best-known novel is Those Bones Are Not My Child, which was posthumously edited to completion by Toni Morrison and published in 1999. Toni Cade Bambara’s daughter, Karma Bene Bambara Smith, continues to keep her legacy alive. She is currently working with Louis Massiah on a film about her mother’s life and work titled The TCB School of Organizing. Though I am not biologically related to Bambara, I consider her to be an intellectual ancestor of mine. As a Black feminist scholar and artist, her life and writings serve as a blueprint for the type of work I aim to do in this lifetime. She created freely and lived fiercely, and her impact will forever be felt.