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Volume 6, Issue 16 www.earlharvey.com August 17, 2018

2 Black Professionals News • August 17, 2018
August is Black Business Month The Business of Politics and Power of the Vote
Must Be Examined
By John William Templeton Co-Founder,
15th National Black Business Month
In 2018, the right to vote is one of the greatest assets
African-Americans possess. One of our objectives during the 15th
annual National Black Business Month is to bring an understanding of
the policies which should drive constant civic engagement. Without
supportive legislation and elected officials, our progress is in jeopardy.
The significantly higher black turnout in 2017 had immediate results in
the omnibus budget legislation of February 2018 which included a $300
million loan forgiveness for historically black colleges and universities
from Hurricane Katrina and the extension of Medicaid throughout the
state of Virginia.
In Opportunity from Disaster: State of Black Business, 15th edition,
we describe the extension of Medicaid in the states below Virginia,
which include exactly half of African-Americans -- 20 million
people--as the number one economic priority.
This is important to reduce health disparities and also to create
thousands of new jobs and businesses. As hurricane season begins, we
are also reminded of the $28 billlion recently distributed in community
development block grants by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development for recovery from Hurricanes Hugo and Irma, which
impacted Houston, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Choices about those funds will be made by state legislatures. The
United Nations just reported about a county in Alabama where black
families are denied sewage treatment because they are not represented
on the county commission. Similar disparities can be found throughout
the Black Belt. More than $80 billion in supplemental appropriations
for disaster relief were made between 2003 and 2013, but
disproportionately little went to African-American communities which
are four times more likely to be damaged in severe weather. To mark the
15th annual National Black Business Month, don't vote or begin
volunteering for a campaign or making a contribution because your
friend, your pastor or your boss encourages you to do so, vote because
your life depends on it.
When floods washed through the streets of Houston last summer,
with the largest population of African-Americans in the South, it exposed
generations of neglect in land use and infrastructure decisions. With $1.2
billion in federal aid specifically for Harris County, making the choices
about how the community is rebuilt are life and death decisions.
The $92 billion total allocated for disaster relief in the omnibus bill
also includes $28 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address
these infrastructure problems. Past spending has not included
African-American construction and other businesses.
Climate change means that these unprecedented levels of disaster
relief spending will be a new norm. A significant turnout in November
could mean that Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-MS, a tireless
advocate for minority business, could become chair of the Homeland
Security Committee. Maryland, Georgia and Florida all have viable
African-American candidates for governor.
In San Francisco, a strong turnout propelled London Breed to become
the first African-American woman mayor of the city and the only one
among the 15 largest cities. Additionally, Fisk alumnus Malia Cohen
became president of the board of supervisors, joining Naomi Kelly as
city administrator. In 24 hours, the top three jobs in city government
were assumed by African-American women along with the presiding
judge of Superior Court and a U.S. senator. If that can happen in a city
with five percent African-American population, courageous voters can
replicate what happened in Alabama where the prosecutor of the bombers
of 16th Street Baptist Church was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Voting doesn't cost anything, but not voting is very expensive.
31 Ways 31 Days at blackbusinessmonth.com
“Reprinted by Permission. National Black Business Month was
founded in 2004 by Frederick E. Jordan and John William Templeton.
For the most comprehensive data ever compiled on the African-American
economy, get Opportunity from Disaster: State of Black Business, 15th
edition at blackbusinessmonth.com"

All Black National Convention in Philadelphia September 26th - 30th

It's time to build our own. The 3rd Annual 2018 All Black National
Convention sponsored by The Black Business School, is an event for
those who want progress for our community. The Convention is going to
be hosted by Kenny Gamble and the I Buy Black Organization at
Universal Audenried Charter High School 3301 Tasker St, Philadelphia,
PA 19145. Take a look at the schedule and decide which tickets you'd like
to buy.
The VIP all-access pass is the best deal for anyone who can't decide
which event you'd like to attend, since it gives you access to all public
events, film screenings, private VIP sessions, the Dr Boyce Watkins
Master class and also The Dr Claud Anderson Powernomics Certification
course.
The purpose of PowerNomics® is to guide native Blacks from their
position of powerlessness to one of group competitiveness and
self-sufficiency. boycewatkins.com ibuyblack.org powernomics.com

The Wilma Theater begins the 2018/19 Season with James Ijames’ Kill Move Paradise
After a successful run at the National Black Theatre in Harlem, Kill
Move Paradise makes its Philadelphia premiere at The Wilma Theater.
Written by award-winning local playwright and HotHouse Affiliated
Artist James Ijames, Kill Move Paradise follows Isa, Grif, Daz, and Tiny
as they find themselves in an afterlife. Together they confront the police
brutality and violent power structure that placed them there and help each
other embrace the paradise waiting for them. Kill Move Paradise will run
from September 4th through the 23rd and will be a part of the 2018
Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
Playwright James Ijames describes his play as “an expressionistic
buzz saw through the contemporary myth that ‘all lives matter.’” In a
time when the narratives of slain Black men are reduced at large to their
tragic deaths, Kill Move Paradise is, to quote Ijames, “a portrait of the
slain, not as degenerates who deserved death but as heroes who demand
that we see them for the splendid beings they are.”
For tickets and information Wilma Theater Box Office 265 S. Broad
St., Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.546.7824 wilmatheater.org

The Black Professionals News Black Friday Initiative to Support Black Owned Businesses
My name is Earl Harvey, I am the Publisher of The Black
Professionals Newspaper (BPN ) in Philadelphia and the Atlantic City
Times in AC. Our newspaper was created to provide affordable
advertising opportunities for small businesses and non-profits that service
the black community. I am a marketing consultant and I know most small
businesses have limited budgets for advertising and marketing which is
badly needed to grow their businesses. We also provide website design
and email marketing in addition to print advertising.
I am working with a group of Philadelphia businessmen to develop
strategies to improve our communities. I have developed a concept called
Black Friday which will be a spin off from Black Friday, the biggest
shopping day of the year. Instead of just one shopping day, I propose that
the community support black owned businesses every Friday. Of course
we encourage supporting our businesses every day of the week, but for
now if we can do a special promotion to drive customers to our
businesses just one day a week, we hope it will grow from there.
At the end of the test period we will aggregate participation provide a
report and hopefully launch Black Friday as a City Wide Community and
Economic Development Initiative. The purpose is to grow the businesses
and hopefully they will create jobs for the community, please join us!
To volunteer call 267-244-3860 earlharvey@aol.com
For a list of participating businesses ibuyblack.org

Join Us At the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, PDVC

New Office Open House
Thursday September 13, 2018 - 9:30 am- 7:00 pm
5300 Wynnefield Avenue- 2nd Floor - Philadelphia, PA. 19131

rsvp Zemoria Brandon zbrandon@verizon.net

 Black Professionals News • August 17, 2018 3
Black History Museums Struggle To Survive Amid Philly Revival
Author: Keshler Thibert
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on the website
Hidden City Philadelphia.
Prior to visiting the Lest We Forget Slavery Museum in Port
Richmond, I had never held a pair of shackles before. I've read fairly
accurate descriptions of them in various books and seen them in movies,
but to actually put them in my hands, and around my wrists, made them
all too real. They were cold, tight, and very heavy.
I began to picture myself shackled to another person. Unable to move
except to squirm and panic, I imagined the people all around me doing
the same while sitting in the hull of a ship hopelessly gasping for fresh Doll Museum exterior:
air. The Philadelphia Doll
As I stood there, I looked to my left at a couple. A young woman was Lest We Forget Museum exterior: Museum at Broad and
crying and trembling as she held onto a collar with a heart-shaped lock at After 15 years in operation, the Lest We Dauphin is currently closed
it's center. It was lighter, more delicate, and more colorful than the other Forget Slavery Museum closed their doors until further notice. After 30
shackles. “These where used to keep female slaves in the main house," permanently in September 2017. The years running the museum,
said our guide, Gwen Ragsdale, the curator of the museum. The young museum sold their building at 3650 founder Barbara Whiteman
woman's visible heartache pulled me away from my thoughts as Mrs. Richmond Street due to lack of outside has retied to spend time with
Ragsdale told her to “sit down and take deep breaths.” funding and rising real estate taxes in the her ailing husband. Without
The museum, housed in a non-descript warehouse in Port Richmond, transitioning neighborhood. Gwen outside contributions, the
blends into an area dominated by blue-collar homes, abandoned factories Ragsdale, the curator of the museum, is museum cannot afford to hire
and foundries, and corner bars. Formerly used by the Ragsdales for their currently looking to Germantown for a staff to keep the doors open
cleaning business, they began using the building to store their growing temporary home for the collection. to the public.Photo: Michael Bixler
collection of artifacts, the first of which came from J. Justin Ragsdale’s
reaching into one's own pocket until a permanent solution can be found.
great Uncle Bub who was a slave during the Civil War. His death and the
Barbara Whiteman, the founder of the Philadelphia Doll Museum,
discovery of a chest full of mementos, including his clothing, shackles,
expressed a similar hardship. After 25 years of collecting various African
and other items, lead J. Justin and his wife, Gwen, to become avid
American dolls, and 20 years since the opening of the museum, it is on
collectors of what now totals over 2,000 items including shackles,
the brink of closing permanently. Whiteman plans to retire soon to spend
collars, and other memorabilia like Ku Klux Klan regalia complete with
time with her ailing husband and she hasn't the financial means to hire
dried blood, maps, and other items.
staff to keep the museum running. Much like the Robeson and Lest We
Looking through their collection feels intimate and personal,
Forget museums, a precarious balance of interns and pulling from her
especially for a person of color. This is why I try to come back often and
own pocket has kept the doors open for a long time, but that well has
bring friends if possible.
now run dry.
In late winter of 2017, I called to make another appointment to visit
Each museum has had its turn in collaborating with established
and discovered that the museum was not accepting tours at that time.
institutions like the Smithsonian and Philadelphia African American
Another request, months later, met the same response. After my third try,
Museum, but nothing more came from it than lending out a few pieces
I was told that the museum was closing permanently due to lack of
for special exhibitions from their respective collections. Mrs. Ragsdale
funding and the need for a new space.
hinted that class often comes into play when working with bigger
The Lest We Forget Slavery Museum is privately funded by the
institutions--education, background, and a sense of not being accepted.
Ragsdales through their savings and now funds have now run out. The
For the Ragsdales, collecting was a personal hobby, not an academic
cost to maintain the facility was more than they can afford, and tours
pursuit, that moved from scouring old battlefields, plantations, and
were largely by appointment only, especially since the museum is far
tracking down a few pieces left in the wills of the descendants of slave
outside of the tour zone of Old City. The question of “Why?” comes to
owners. For the Ragsdales, retrieving these artifacts became a self-driven
mind when I learn that only a few places in Philadelphia have a
responsibility to preserve Black history while filling a void created by
collection of items that relate to the history and lives of African
most large museums and institutions.
Americans. Aside from the Charles Blockson Collection at Temple
For Michaels at the Robeson Museum, it is about the respect and love
University, which has more items related to the African Diaspora, the
of Uncle Paul whom she drove, in her first car, to receive medical
Ragsdales' collection excels in its sheer number of authentic items from
treatment when he became ill. And as for the Whitemans, it is a genuine
the U.S. slave trade.
passion for how dolls shape, and often distort, the self image of young
When it comes to African American history in Philadelphia, the focus
girls. In each case, it was genuine love and respect that attracted their
is usually centered on Richard Allen, Octavius V. Catto, and, to a lesser
spouses, family, and friends to contribute their time and patience. But, in
extent, both Ona Judge and Hercules, George Washington's enslaved
the end, each opened their own wallets to keep the doors open when
head cook at Mount Vernon and, later, the President's House on Market
admission fees and contributions were not enough.
Street. The rest of Black history in the city is typically relegated a lone
Not being in a central location is problematic. “Unless you’re an avid
historic marker or a brief mention in mainstream museums and tours.
history fan, most do not venture out of the Center City district,” said Mrs.
But Lest We Forget isn't the only museum experiencing difficulties.
Ragsdale. What happens next for these three, small African American
Other private and smaller museums devoted to Black history currently
museums remains uncertain. The Lest We Forget Slavery Museum is
face the same dilemma.
currently transitioning into a temporary location in Germantown due to
“Those who cut checks only endorse museums they are familiar and
rising real estate costs in Port Richmond. The Philadelphia Doll Museum
feel comfortable with and the topic of African American history is still an
is closed until further notice, and the Paul Robeson Museum operates
uncomfortable one,” said Vernoca L. Michael, curator of the Paul
around a light, fluctuating schedule. One possibility for each museum is
Robeson Museum in West Philadelphia.
that their collections could be absorbed by bigger museums with more
Michaels uses a staff of interns who work for free to provide tours
funding like the Smithsonian and the African American Museum of
and administration. But when it comes to funding, what little the museum
Philadelphia. But that comes with the great cost of losing a concentrated,
receives goes to maintenance and keeping the lights on, which means
immersive experience that each of these small museums provide in favor
almost nothing goes to advertising and marketing. Interpreting and
of a single display or another glossed over version of African American
sharing African American history with the public in Philadelphia is
History.
pay-to-play, and keeping the lights on for another month comes with

Earl Harvey, The Black Professionals News Phone

267-244-3860
Publisher
P.O. Box 44303 (BPN) earl
Philadelphia, PA @earlharvey.com
19144 Advertising • Marketing • Special Events www.earlharvey.com
4 Black Professionals News • August 17, 2018
Small Business Owners are Invited to Join IBUYBLACK Discount Card Initiative
We are inviting black business owners to join a network that will
PROMOTE your business and bring you NEW customers – AT NO
COST TO YOU! The iBuy Black Card – is a discount card that will be in
the hands of shoppers looking to support Black businesses. We have sold
over 3000 cards to the public, and our goal is to eventually issue 10,000
cards. Shoppers pay $10.00 for the iBuy Black Discount Card because
they want to support small businesses. This wonderful program will help
grow your business, create jobs in our community, and raise funds that
will be reinvested in our community.
Best of all, it’s easy for you to participate in the iBuy Black Card
network! Here’s how it works: 1. Joining the network is FREE! We just
ask that you provide a small discount or benefit to our cardholders. 2.
The nature of the discount you provide is up to you – 5% - 10% totally
up to you! Just remember, you will be getting new customers. 3.
Participating businesses will be promoted by the Philadelphia
Community of Leaders (PCOL) and all of our partners. 4. Sign up for
free online ibuyblack.org . Shoppers love discounts. And our members
love to BUY BLACK
We will send you promotional materials, include you in our network,
and promote you in the media, in social media ads, and in business
showcases. This is a great opportunity to grow your business! Please call
Earl Harvey 267-244-3860 to learn how to register your business.
Sponsored by Kenny Gamble, Philadelphia Community of Leaders.
Pastor Alyn Waller, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church. Sarah Lomax,
CEO, WURD Radio. Earl Harvey, CEO, Black Professionals News. Ali
Salahudin, African Genesis Institute Joel Wilson, president and CEO of
JCW Consulting and Gary Shepard , 3rd Floor Media.
Pick Up Ibuyblack discount cards at the following locations: African
Cultural Art Forum, 221 S 52nd St., Philadelphia, PA 19139, Amatullah's
Treasures, 6303 Lansdowne Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19151 and
Maxamillion's Gentlemen's Quarters Barber Parlor, 2035 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Support Black Owned Businesses Make Dollars Make Sense

Economists say the average dollar earned by blacks stays in our
community for 6 hours. Compare that to the white community. Dollars
circulate in the white community for 17 days! Some laugh at our
spending habits -- then they harvest our dollars like locusts in a field of
corn. They don’t care that strong black businesses are good for the
ENTIRE community. Considering the potential to lower crime and
violence, ALL people should make a point of supporting black
businesses. According to Brian Williams, MBA and Founder of
purchaseBlack.com, “If we spent nine cents of our collective dollar with
black owned businesses we could employ every single man, woman and
child within the black community”. More jobs will lower crime and
violence. We should heed the advice of Rev. Leon Sullivan and take
charge of the dollars that flow through our pockets. The power is in our
hands. A broad coalition of Philadelphia leaders have united and
developed the iBuy Black Discount Card to address this problem. Our
goal is to recruit 10,000 consumers to purchase the iBuyBlack Discount
card for just $10.00. In return shoppers can expect discounts and benefits
when they present the card to businesses who join our network. Network
businesses will get new customers, community recognition, and free
promotion within our extensive network. Want to join this movement and
spend your dollars wisely? Purchase your iBuyBlack Discount Card
today by calling Earl Harvey 267-244-3860 Business people, want to add
new customers and show your support for this movement? Join our
growing network email earl@earlharvey.com. For a list of participating
businesses ibuyblack.org

Volunteers invited to join us for an exciting

new initiative to support Black Owned
Businesses. Come out and explore hidden
treasures located in our
business districts and commercial corridors

To volunteer and for more information

Can't find the latest copy of BPN ? call
Read The Black Professionals News and Earl Harvey 267-244-3860
Atlantic City Times online at earlharvey.com email earl@earlharvey.com
Celebrate The Summer at The Old School Party sponsored by AARP
@ Philly's Platinum Grille 7719 Crittenden St @ Mermaid Lane in Chestnut Hill Friday, August 31st. Calling All
Virgos FREE ADMISSION for Virgos with ID, all others $10.00 at the door. Free parking, cash bar. Call
Platinum Grille to reserve your table 215-247-2312, or call Earl Harvey 267-244-3860
Ain't No Party Like a Virgo Party 8:30 pm to 2:00 am

Maggie Anderson Author of the Best Selling Book " Our Black Year " encourages consumers
to Buy Black this Holiday Season
The book details the challenges her family faced in Chicago while
buying from Black owned businesses for one year
I am challenging all of you to demonstrate your Black love and pride
by " Buying Black " and spending strong this holiday season. I am asking
this of all people who are ready to take a stand for the Black community
too.
During the holidays, there is so much energy, excitement and
expectation around Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. These
holiday campaigns create jobs, strengthen businesses, magnify market
activity, and are seismic exercises in consumer spending. Entire
corporations, small towns, family futures and livelihoods, industries live
and die based on holiday shopping. But sadly, in the African American
community, these days are a death knell for our economic potential. That
remarkable economic activity hardly empowers struggling African
American neighborhoods and quality African American businesses.
Every Saturday is Small Business Saturday in Asian American
communities, like within the Chinese, Indian, Korean and Vietnamese
populations across this country, where the dollar is recycled for up to 28
days via the retailers, banks, professionals, and shopkeepers before it
ventures outside. Every Friday is Black Friday for our Jewish American
friends, as they proactively, publicly seek and support Jewish-owned
businesses and Jewish professionals, keeping their dollar in their
community.
I dread and am saddened by what the holiday season will do to my
economically deprived community and how that siphoning of wealth,
jobs and hope will hurt these great hard-working families, entrepreneurs
and the neighborhoods my people live in. For African Americans
especially, the holidays should be days of reckoning when we all think
about how less than 5% of our trillion dollars in buying power stays in
our community, how our kids are the only American kids deprived of the
essential encounter of going to the corner store and seeing an owner who
looks like them, and how intentionally enabling all that hurts Black
families and neighborhoods, and our great country.
So today, because of you and this movement to support Black owned
businesses , we continue to build, still broken with sadness and boiling
with anger and swimming in sadness over the year of MORE murders at
the hands of the police, a totally disappointing, discouraging presidency,
For a list of participating businesses or to sign up a business visit ibuyblack.org
Black Professionals News • August 17, 2018 5
and all the loss at the hands of our own
confused brothers, I refuse to wallow
in or fall prey to the poisonous pity!
Thank you, all of you, business owners
and believers, my soldiers, my
academic activists, my fellow
everyday moms, my friends who have
more faith than fear, and all my
corporate revolutionaries. Thank you
for making our Buy Black message so
powerful and this movement so
worthwhile notwithstanding all that
hurts our community.
I know you are angry about the
killings, the poverty, at how our
communities are not our own anymore, at how so many neighborhoods
and families are empowered by your hard-earned wealth while we are
drained and deadened. So if you are angry, spend angrily. If you are sad,
spend sad , let's turn a negative into a positive and explore solutions.
Go to the local Black-owned McDonald’s (see www.NBMOA.org) and
buy a gift card for family members , or open an account at a
Black-owned bank, like Industrial Bank (www.IndustrialBank.net) or
OneUnited Bank (www.oneunited.com) or Liberty Bank
(www.LibertyBank.net); or sit down with your Black agent and get a life
insurance policy because you are smart and value your family and your
legacy, even if others don’t. Give a gift to your church or give to an
HBCU, there are so many ways you can give back, build up, represent
and reinvest in our greatness.
We also have many great entrepreneurs and businesses online. Sign
up at www.MaggiesList.com. When you travel this holiday season, think
about our top quality hotels and B&B owners and black travel agents.
Celebrate with Heritage Link Brands, great wines from Black vineyards
in Africa.
We can make the holiday season a time when more consumers and
corporations, Black and not, can proactively seek and support small
Black-owned businesses. That real Black Power! Our Black Year is
available on Amazon.com
For more information or to
purchase a card contact
Earl Harvey 267-244-3860
earl@earlharvey.com
6 Black Professionals News • August 17, 2018

Earl Harvey Presents Bus Trip to Broadway to see the play Donna Summer
Musical September 15th 2018 bus leaves at 9.30 am from Platinum Grille in
Chestnut Hill cost is 200.00 includes orchestra seat, snacks and beverages on
the bus, lunch or dinner on your own,

call to reserve your seat now 267-244-3860 or

email earl@earlharvey.com

US Ghana Chamber of Commerce Global Women Conference
The US Ghana Chamber of Commerce proudly presents the Global
Women X Empowerment and Leadership Conference in Accra, Ghana,
West Africa October 4th-8th, 2018. Our keynote speaker is Her
Excellency, Samira Bawumia, The Second Lady of Ghana, Founder of
the Samira Bawumia Foundation for Women and Children, named a
World Habitat Humanitarian Ambassador and awarded by the World
Habitat Ambassadors Foundation for Global Excellence in Leadership.
Humanitarian and Philanthropic activities in Africa.
Why now, why Ghana? Women globally are finding a voice that is
growing from a place of “no more”. Women are claiming their positions
at the table where decisions are being made about their options, their
futures, and their roles in society. It is said that knowledge is the key to
transformation. This coming together of women has a purpose of
exchanging knowledge, information, resources, and laying the
groundwork for solving our greatest challenges and eliminating our
darkest disparities. The “X” in Global Women X stands for Exchange,
Extraordinary, and Excellence. The colors in our logo, purple and gold,
represent: the royal dignity and significance of purple since ancient
times, and the gold is for the Gold Coast of Africa – today known as the
Republic of Ghana. Ghana is celebrating 61 years of independence and
progress. Ghana is the Black Star of Africa and the gateway to West
Africa where a multimillion dollar Marine Drive project has been
launched as a rebirth of the vision of the first President Kwame Nkrumah
– creating 150,00 direct and indirect jobs and changing the face of
tourism and the overall economy of Ghana. Ghana has the fastest
growing economy on the continent of Africa.
This conference is about preparing for action. It is about
empowerment “the authority and ability to recognize and give oneself
permission and control in one’s life and claiming it”. It is about
leadership and how each woman translates vision into reality. It has been
said that education is the mother of leadership. We will come together
and educate each other in the five disciplines (sessions) that are the
underpinnings of a solid foundation for women to grow, sustain, and
Advertise in the Black Professionals News 267-244-3860
Black Professionals News • August 17, 2018 7
exceed limitations for themselves and their
families: Business, Finance, Health and
Wellness, Legal and Education.
Entrepreneurship offers options, Finance
and Wealth Management offer economic
security, Health and Wellness offer strength
and resilience, Legal offers awareness of the
justice system and representation that offers
protection, and Education changes your
mindset, expectations, and your future. The
Akan people of Ghana speak a native language
Her Excellency,
called Twi – the word for change is “nsesa”.
Samira Bawumia
This gathering of women is about “nsesa” -
sustainable change, meaningful change, empowering change. Women
from all over the world from those born with privilege to those claiming
privilege, from those formally educated to those educated informally. We
will exchange our ideas and dreams and bring a new sense of
self-awareness, and self-leadership that crosses all political, ethnic,
cultural, religious and national boundaries.
Global Women X encourages men to attend to collaborate, to partner,
to support the mission of the conference and strengthen the outcomes. If
you have never been to Africa, begin your journey and homecoming with
Ghana. Join us to build a legacy, laying the groundwork for a global
digital directory, creating an electronic database of resources, networking
with like-minded individuals, and giving back with philanthropic and
mentorship activities with girls and young women who are eager to hear
you and be you. “People who are truly strong lift others up. People who
are truly powerful bring others together” First Lady Michelle Obama
Join Us www.globalwomenx.org
Lydia Henry, US Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Chair of Women’s
Initiatives, USGhanaChamber1957@gmail.com
8 Black Professionals News • August 17, 2018
BLACK-OWNED SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, DAY SPAS IN PHILADELPHIA
Visitors To Philly Can Support Independent, Brick-And-Mortar African
American Businesses. The Sable Collective, Amalgam Comics &
Coffeehouse are just two of many shops owned and operated by African
Americans in Philadelphia. Jenea Robinson jenea@visitphilly.com
Shops, restaurants, galleries and bars owned and operated by African
Americans are abundant in Philadelphia. Among Philly’s
destination-worthy black-owned businesses: high-end lingerie boutique
Coeur, nerdy-cool hangout Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse, healthful
juice and açai bowls bar Stripp’d Juice, top-shelf nightclub Reserve and
West Philadelphia’s inimitable arts space, the Tiberino Museum.
Here’s a traveler-tailored list of some of the city’s standout
black-owned businesses.
Shops:
Amazulu Collections – Charita Powell, owner. Seven days a week
and for more than 25 years, this popular Reading Terminal Market stand
has represented artists from all over the world and lived the motto,
“where cultures meet.” For sale: handmade folk dolls, original paintings,
body care, cultural clothing and sterling silver jewelry designed by
Powell and made by Indonesian artisans. Her newer South Philly venture,
Amazulu Living Room, is a gallery-boutique (with a natural hair salon in
back) known for hosting special events. Collections, 12th & Filbert
Streets, (215) 627-8667; Living Room, 1529 Reed Street,
(215) 207-7986, amazulucollections.com
Charlie’s Jeans – Sebastian McCall, owner. This Old City spot is the
city’s absolute go-to for fitting its customers in the perfect pair of jeans.
Slim, distressed, dark, flare, pencil, straight, bootcut, styles for work or
for play are all on the menu. Topping it are the store’s exclusive brand,
Sebasitan McCall, named for its owner. 233 Market Street,
(215) 923-9681,charliesjeans.net
Coeur – Mona Lisa Jackson, owner. Petite Ms. Jackson is not being
nasty when she sizes up her guests—and gently informs them their bras
don’t quite fit. The longtime owner of this exclusive, walk-up
Rittenhouse Square lingerie shop is known for her no-nonsense ability to
fit figures of all shapes and sizes in investment-worthy Chantelle,
Aubade, Chantal Thomass, Janira, Falke, La Perla and more. 132 S. 17th
Street, (215) 972-0373, coeurlingerie.com.
Cultured Couture Vintage – Erik Honesty, owner. Now in its sixth
year, this bastion of quality style on the edge of Kensington is best
known for its stock of designer vintage menswear. In-the-know clients
find well-priced Hermes scarves, ties, coats and shirts, Louis Vuitton and
Gucci luggage, plus select women’s pieces. The destination-worthy
boutique also hosts art shows and panel discussions. 703 W. Girard
Avenue, culturedcouturegallery.com
De’Vilage – Owner, Nikki Parks. Natural stone and wooden jewelry,
Shea butter, natural soaps and body washes come from Kenya, Ghana
and Nigeria to this standout Reading Terminal Market veteran. 12th &
Filbert Streets, (215) 923-9860, readingterminalmarket.org
Philadelphia Diamond Company – Kenyatta Black, owner. Visitors
and locals can create custom engagement rings and wedding bands at this
much-respected jeweler, located in the heart of the Historic District, just
steps from the Liberty Bell. 111 Independence Hall East, (215) 987-1901,
philadelphiadiamondco.com
The Sable Collective (TSC) – Shanti Mayers, Celeste Bryant and
Syreeta Scott, owners. More than a shop, this North Philly spot is a
resource for women of color. The warm, chic storefront sells holistic
body care, new and used books, Ankara-print socks, eclectic housewares,
affirmation flag pennants (“I Am Brave” and “I Am Magic”), South
African jewelry and Cuban leather bags. TSC also holds book clubs and
yoga workshops—and serves as the hangout for clients from
next-door-neighbor Duafe Holistic Hair Care, which belongs to Syreeta
Scott, stylist to Jill Scott, Ava DuVernay, Questlove, Janet Jackson and
others. 3133 N. 22nd Street, thesablecollective.com
Spas/Beauty:
3rd Element Spa – Tomika Branch and Chyvonne Shackelford,
owners. Sisters make the best small business partners. This nail specialist
and esthetician established their busy, full-service day spa in the West
Oak Lane community where they grew up. Popular here: Oxygen facials,
gel manicures, detox pedicures, plush waxing, lash and brow
enhancements, massages and
3rd Element lip balm and body butter and wash. 7175 Ogontz
Avenue, (215) 276-2633, @3rdelementspa
About Phace – Ursula Augustine, owner. This by-appointment-only
spot belongs to an industry vet whose 25-plus years in the business
include stints with Bobbi Brown, Francois Nars, Aveda and Jeanine
Lobell of Stila. Devoted clients swear by her lash lifts, Sensei Peel,
sugaring—but especially her note-perfect makeup applications. 1700
Sansom Street, (215) 557-1562, aboutphace201.com
Body Cycle Studio – Russell Carter, owner. The founder of one of
the city’s preeminent indoor cycling studios first came to Philly on a
football scholarship at Temple University. Today, Carter and his team of a
dozen instructors put exercisers through fast-paced yet accessible
interval-style training in mostly 45-minute to hour-and-a-half-long
classes. 1923 Chestnut Street, (215) 563-3663, bodycyclestudio.com
HolNest – Shannan Reese, owner. This co-op of licensed bodywork
therapists offers holistic relaxation and rejuvenation inside a private
fitness center in the busiest part of Center City. Reasonably priced
Swedish, deep tissue, sports and hot stone massages are the specialty
here, and an aromatherapist and esthetician are available too—for those
who book ahead. 1835 Market Street, 2nd Floor, (215) 668-5403,
holnestcoop.com
Girls’ Auto Clinic Repair Center – Patrice Banks, owner. Engineer
turned mechanic (and author of Girls Auto Clinic Glovebox Guide) has
established the city’s first and only women-run garage and has plans to
debut an adjacent beauty bar featuring stations for blow-outs and nail
services. 7425 W. Chester Pike, Upper Darby, (484) 461-4693,
facebook.com/GirlsAutoClinic
BoConcept Philadelphia is the ultimate destination for modern and
contemporary furniture. Stop by today to meet our skilled design
consultants who will introduce you to our collection of Danish design
furnishings and accessories and help you decorate the home of your
dreams! 1719 Chestnut St (215) 564-5656. boconcept-pa.com
Cafes/Hangouts:
Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse – Ariell R. Johnson, owner. The
first African American woman on the East Coast to own a comic book
shop has created a venue along rising Frankford Avenue that’s
welcoming to all. Amalgam stocks Marvel, DC, big-time and
self-published books for grown-ups, kids and everyone in-between and
serves up coffee drinks and locally made pastries, including
comic-book-hero-themed cupcakes. 2578 Frankford Avenue,
(215) 472-3300, @amalgamphilly
Atomic City Comics – Darryl Jones, owner. Classic comic book
store known for dollar comics, manga, back issues, horror, sci-fi and
old-school Arcade games such as Street Fighter has been a South Street
mainstay. 638 South Street, (215) 625-9613 @atomiccitycomics
Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books the go-to book store in Northwest
Philly. Owned by Marc Lamont Hill,(CNN commentator and Temple
professor) it is one of less than 100 black-owned book stores in the U.S.
5445 Germantown Ave 215 403-7058 unclebobbies.com
Rose Petals Cafe & Lounge – Jania and Desmin Daniels, owners.
Rose petals- and whipped cream-topped strawberry waffles? Yes, please,
in this cozy Germantown refuge, serving breakfast and lunch six days a
week. Other reasons to trek to Northwest Philly include free Wi-Fi, a
child-centered entertainment room, croque monsieurs, salads and tropical
smoothies. 322 W. Chelten Avenue, (267) 388-1150, rosepetalscafe.com
Stripp’d Juice – Khoran Horn, owner. At Old City’s cold-press
juicery, everyone seems to have a fave: Jala At Ya Boy, Woodermelon,
Wise Pine—all made from ingredients from local farms and purveyors.
But the handsome, historic spot doesn’t stop there: It’s also known for
making an outstanding açai and matcha bowls, brioche egg sandwiches,
chipotle guac toast and nut milks. 263 N. 3rd Street, (267) 550-7877,
strippdjuice.com
Bakeries:
Denise’s Bakery – Denise Gause, owner. After a fire closed her
25-year-old North Philly homage to sugar, eggs and flour, she did what
any strong baker would do: She rebuilt it. Today, lines once again form
out the door and the phone rings off the hook for Denise’s pound cake,
pies, brownies, doughnuts, cookies and wedding cakes. 2916 N. 22nd
Street, (215) 225-5425, cakesbydenises.com/denises
Sweet Nectar Dessert Kitchen – Robin Broughton-Smith, owner.
She’s gone from Jay-Z’s accountant to the creator of sticky buns, ginger
cookies, carrot cakes, baked doughnuts, plus all manner of seasonal
cupcakes and custom cakes in the Art Museum neighborhood. The shop
also offers classes, demos and meetups. 547 N. 20th Street,
(267) 318-7143, sweetnectardk.com
Sweet Nina’s Banana Pudding in Reading Terminal 12th and Arch
across from the Down Home Diner. Open Wed- Sat 215-805-8757
Restaurants:
Haute Restaurant and Lounge 1420 Locust Street is an upscale
restaurant located inside the Academy House next door to the legendary
Academy of Music in the heart of center city, we invite you to experience
a culinary adventure in a relaxed atmosphere of unparalleled refined
service. hauteloungephilly.com

48th Street Grille – Carl Lewis, Sr., owner. Customers with a taste for
the perfect combo of soul, Caribbean and American cuisines—at low
prices—meet up to chow down at this beloved destination. Hearty
portions of blackened wings, jerk turkey with stuffing, baby back ribs
and more are worth the trip to West Philly. 310 S. 48th Street,
(267) 244-4764, 48thstreetgrille.com
Aksum Cafe – Saba Tedla, owner. This Mediterranean—North
African, European, Middle Eastern—bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB)
spot is known along the up-and-coming Baltimore Avenue corridor for its
vegetable tajines, Lebanese lemon chicken and shrimp, Greek lamb
chops and tapas. 4630 Baltimore Avenue, (267) 275-8195,
aksumcafe.com
Dos Tacos – Sylva Senat, owner. “Top Chef” contestant 120 S. 15th
Street, (215) 567-8226, dostacosphilly.com. Senat also owns Maison
208, serving new American French fare at 208 S. 13th. (215) 999-1020.
maison208.com
Herban Eats – Kalefe Wright and Amir Fardshisheh, owners. On
their University City spot’s locavore menu, lean proteins, unrefined
carbs, vitamins and minerals go into wild-caught bluefish, grilled steak,
jerk chicken and “vegan jawn.” 3601 Market Street, (215) 386-5000,
herbanqualityeats.com
Chef Ken’s Café A friendly little hideaway in Mt. Airy, serves crowd
pleasers like fried chicken, fried fish, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes
and, of course, sweet tea. 7135 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA
19119 (215) 713-8899
Butter’s Soul Food corners the market for Salisbury steak and fried
shrimp platters in Brewerytown. The takeaway joint also cooks up rice
and gravy, corn and okra and a mean sweet-potato cheesecake 2730 W.
Girard Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19130 (215) 235-4724
buttersoulfood.com
Jamaican Jerk Hut – Lisa Wilson, owner. One of the city’s favorite
casual BYOBs has been serving up famous jerk chicken, oxtail, curry
shrimp with sides of roti, cornbread and johnny cakes since 1994. The
spot is especially popular in summer, when diners can sit on a veranda
out back—and bring rum to mix with homemade juices and ginger beer.
1436 South Street, (215) 545-8644, jajerkhut.com
Keven Parker Soul Food Cafe – Fried chicken, extra-cheesy
macaroni and cheese, caramelized candied yams, collard greens in the
historic Reading Terminal Market. Parker’s sit-down spot, complete with
a stylish lounge, is a few blocks South, the much-loved Ms. Tootsie’s.
Soul Food Café, 12th & Arch Streets, (215) 625-0650; Ms. Tootsie’s,
1312 South Street, (215) 731-9045, kevenparker.net
Relish, South Kitchen & Jazz Bar & Warmdaddy’s – Robert and
Benjamin Bynum, owners. West Oak Lane’s Relish offers modern
Southern cuisine, live jazz Thursday through Saturday and a 40-foot
brunch buffet on Saturday and Sunday. South dishes up Lowcountry fare,
old-fashioned hospitality, live jazz Warmdaddy’s is the spot for New
Black Professionals News • August 17, 2018 9
Orleans jazz, acoustic soul and the food to go with it. Relish, 7152
Ogontz Avenue, (215) 276-0170, relishphiladelphia.com; South, 600 N.
Broad Street, (215) 600-0220, southrestaurant.net; Warmdaddy’s,
Riverview Plaza, 1400 S. Columbus Boulevard, (215) 462-2000,
warmdaddys.com
Nile Cafe is among the best vegan places in Philly. Real soul food,
served in decent portions. 6008 Germantown Ave (215) 843-6453
Youma – Youma Ba, owner. The African cuisine scene is especially
rich in West Philly. One notable newcomer is this Senegalese spot, whose
Fulani owner brings a taste of Dakar with dibi (grilled lambchops), yassa
(spicy grilled chicken with habanero and green pepper), fatata (beef
patties), aloco (fried plantains), thieboudienne (fried rice with vegetables
and fish) and ginger juice blended with mango, strawberry, grenadine or
peach. 4519 Baltimore Avenue, (215) 386-2025, youmarestaurant.com
Art Galleries:
The Bazemore Gallery – Lenny Bazemore, owner. A heavyweight in
the local art scene laid out his Manayunk gallery to conform to the
principles of Feng Shui, then invited in artists such as Susan Beard,
Stephen Bruce, James Brantley and John Stango to add life. 4339 Main
Street, (215) 482-1119, thebazemoregallery.com
October Gallery – Mercer Redcross, owner. “African American art
is good for everyone” is the motto of this circa-1985 vast repository of
mostly contemporary black art. This elder statesman of creativity has
shared its mission from its Germantown flagships through kiosks and
shows across town, long before pop-ups were cool. 6353 Greene Street,
(215) 352-3114, octobergallery.com
Rush Arts Philly (RAP) – Danny Simmons, owner. After the elder
brother of the Reverend Run and Russell Simmons relocated to Philly, he
established an outpost of his famed art gallery and community space at
the very top of Broad Street. RAP for short opened with the acclaimed
show Guerillas In The Midst, and continues to put on top-notch shows.
4954 Old York Road, rushartsphilly.org
Tiberino Museum – Ellen, Raphael and Gabriel Tiberino, owners.
Known as “the West Philly Wyeths.” 3819 Hamilton Street,
(215) 386-3784, facebook.com/TiberinoMuseum
Clubs/Lounges:
Reef – Mike Clark, owner. Seven nights a week, this Queen Village
spot turns out Philly-touched Jamaican fare—pepper shrimp, fried
plantains and jerk chicken cheesesteaks. But it’s the upstairs lounge,
where DJs spin hip hop, R&B and top 40 on Fridays and island rhythms
on Saturdays, that patrons have loved longest. 605 S. 3rd Street,
(215) 629-0102, phillyreef.com
Reserve Lounge – Mike Clark, owner. Center City’s Reserve gives
cocktail enthusiasts eight hours a week (10 p.m.-2 a.m., Friday and
Saturday) and just enough elbow room to see and be seen, sip and dance.
About that sipping: Bubbly, Hennessy, shots and such. 724 Arch Street,
(267) 482-0724, reservelounge.com
10 Black Professionals News • August 17, 2018
Visitors and Residents are invited to explore African American History in Philadelphia
Unique, Compelling Story Of Early African-Americans, as told
throughout Philadelphia, The National Constitution Center, which houses
an extremely rare copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by
President Abraham Lincoln, and Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, the
mother church of the nation’s first black denomination, are just two of the
dozens of sites to experience African American history in the
Philadelphia region. Jenea Robinson jenea@visitphilly.com
Just as U.S. history is African-American history, Philadelphia history
is African-American history. The nation’s birthplace and first World
Heritage City is home to the founding church of the African Methodist
Episcopal denomination (201-year-old Mother Bethel A.M.E.) and the
country’s first major museum devoted to black American history (African
American Museum in Philadelphia).Landmarks in Philadelphia’s Historic
District, from the Liberty Bell to street-side Historical Markers, tell of
the successes, struggles and contributions of African-Americans through
the centuries. Beyond the original city, Philadelphia’s vibrant
neighborhoods offer glimpses into the pasts of African-American whose
impacts live on today (Marian Anderson Residence, Paul Robeson
House).
These Philadelphia museums, landmarks, churches and other sites are
rich in African-American history.
Museums:
The African American Museum in Philadelphia, founded in 1976,
is the first institution built by a major U.S. city to preserve, interpret and
exhibit the heritage and culture of African-Americans. Now celebrating
its 40th year, the museum takes a fresh, bold look at the roles of
African-Americans in the founding of the nation through the core exhibit
Audacious Freedom. Other exhibitions and programs reveal the history,
stories and cultures of those of African descent throughout the African
diaspora. 701 Arch Street, (215) 574-0380, aampmuseum.org
At Independence Seaport Museum, Tides of Freedom: African
Presence on the Delaware River uses the city’s eastern river to uncover
the African experience in Philadelphia, including enslavement,
emancipation, Jim Crow and Civil Rights. Guest curated by Dr. Tukufu
Zuberi, a University of Pennsylvania professor, the exhibit tells a
300-year-old story that unfolds through artifacts from the museum’s own
collection and compelling first-person accounts. Penn’s Landing, 211 S.
Columbus Boulevard, (215) 413-8655,phillyseaport.org
The National Constitution Center houses an extremely rare copy of
the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln.
The order that declared enslaved persons in rebellious areas of the South
free is permanently on display in the Civil War alcove, which examines
the turning-point year of 1863. Through self-guided tours and interactive
programs, the museum also illustrates the contributions of notable
African-Americans; delves into pivotal Supreme Court cases such as
Dred Scott v. Sanford and Brown v. Board of Education; and explores the
amendments that established rights for all citizens. A more recent
highlight: the original, signed copy of Barack Obama’s “A More Perfect
Union” speech, delivered onsite during his 2008 presidential campaign.
525 Arch Street, (215) 409-6700, constitutioncenter.org
The National Liberty Museum presents the enduring story of
liberty, both in history and today. The Heroes From Around the World
gallery spotlights notable people from all walks of life and time periods
who protected and advanced freedom—including well-known figures
such as Nelson Mandela and lesser-known people like Gail Gibson, a
New Orleans nurse whose bravery helped save lives during Hurricane
Katrina. The Live Like A Hero gallery showcases teachers, students,
police officers, firefighters and other ordinary citizens who use their
voices and talents to advocate for positive change, and the gallery
includes a special section on students’ ideas about freedom after watch-
ing the film Selma. 321 Chestnut Street, (215) 925-2800,
libertymuseum.org
Historic Sites & Attractions:
Throughout Philadelphia—and the entire state, in fact—Historical
Markers capture the stories of people, places and events that shaped our
country. The blue signs act as mini-history lessons, including: First
Protest Against Slavery (5109 Germantown Avenue), where a group of
German Quakers wrote a protest against slavery in 1688; Free African
Society (6th & Lombard Streets), an organization that fostered identity,
leadership and unity among black people; James Forten (336 Lombard
Street), a wealthy sailmaker who employed multi-racial craftsmen and
championed reform causes; Octavius V. Catto (812 South Street), an
African-American educator, Union army major and political organizer
who was assassinated in 1871 while urging African-Americans to vote;
Pennsylvania Abolition Society (Front Street between Walnut & Chestnut
Streets), the first American abolition society; Philadelphia Female
Anti-Slavery Society (5th & Arch Streets), organized by Quaker
abolitionist Lucretia Mott; W. E. B. Du Bois (6th & Rodman Streets), an
activist, author and co-founder of the NAACP; and William Still (244 S.
12th Street), an Underground Railroad agent.pahistoricalmarkers.com
The Johnson House Historic Site, part of the Colonial Germantown
Historic District, attained National Historic Landmark recognition for its
role in the Underground Railroad. Tours offer visitors an opportunity to
learn about the injustices of slavery and the people who risked their lives
for others’ freedom. 6306 Germantown Avenue, (215) 438-1768,
johnsonhouse.org
Inside the Liberty Bell Center, visitors uncover the connection
between the Liberty Bell and African-American history. Videos and
interactive displays explain how the abolitionist movement adopted the
icon of freedom based on the inscribed quote from Leviticus—“Proclaim
liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof”—as a
symbol of its anti-slavery activities. Beginning in the late 1800s, the
Liberty Bell traveled around the country to expositions to help heal the
divisions of the Civil War. It reminded Americans of earlier days when
they worked together for independence. 5th & Market Streets,
(215) 965-2305,nps.gov/inde
An understated façade houses the three-story home of opera singer,
humanitarian and civil rights icon Marian Anderson. The Marian
Anderson Residence Museum, listed National Register of Historic
Places, reveals the life and work of the first African-American to perform
at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. People can tour the house every
day except Sunday. 762 S. Martin Street, (215) 779-4219,
marianandersonhistoricalsociety.weebly.com
Located in West Philadelphia, the Paul Robeson House served as the
residence for the esteemed human rights activist, scholar, attorney, actor,
football player and singer during the last decade of his life. Tours give
visitors a chance to hear songs he recorded, learn about Robeson’s
politics and discover his life of accomplishments—including his family’s
18th-century roots in Philadelphia. 4951 Walnut Street, (215) 747-4675,
paulrobesonhouse.org
At The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a
New Nation, visitors see structural fragments of the home where
Presidents Washington and Adams lived during their terms and where the
first president kept nine enslaved Africans. The open-air Independence
National Historical Park site, located just steps from the Liberty Bell
Center, invites people to learn about the events that transpired through
illustrated glass panels and video re-enactments, and then partake in
silent reflection. 6th & Market Streets, (215) 965-2305,nps.gov/inde
People of all ages can perch on free Once Upon A Nation’s
Storytelling Benches at 13 locations around Philadelphia’s Historic
District. Professional storytellers regale their audiences with tales of the
well-known and not-so-well-known people who shaped America’s
history. Benches are open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Maps
of the bench locations are available at the Independence Visitor Center.
6th & Market Streets, (215) 629-4026, historicphiladelphia.org
Churches:
With Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross and George Washington among
its worshippers, Christ Church made history by ordaining Absalom
Jones as the country’s first African-American priest (Episcopalian),
baptizing 25% of the free and enslaved African-Americans in
Philadelphia over a 20-year period and helping to establish a school to
educate slaves. Tours of the National Park Service-affiliated church, a
National Historic Landmark, occur throughout the day. 20 N. American
Street, (215) 922-1695, christchurchphila.org
Founded by Bishop Richard Allen with the first church building
dedicated in 1794, Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal
(A.M.E.) Church sits on the oldest parcel of land continuously owned by
African-Americans, and is the “Mother” church of the nation’s first black
denomination. Today, Mother Bethel comprises three institutions under
one roof: church, museum and archive. The congregation worships
weekly. The museum houses the tomb of Bishop Richard Allen and
artifacts dating back to the 1600s. Reservations encouraged for the daily
museum tour. 419 S. 6th Street, (215) 925-0616,motherbethel.org
Prior to the establishment of local African-American churches, St.
George’s United Methodist Church welcomed black worshippers and
licensed Richard Allen and Absalom Jones as the first African-American
Methodist lay preachers. A dispute over segregated seating policies led to
a walkout and the creation of African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas
and Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church. St. George’s continues to work on
amends for previous racial injustices. Portraits, items of worship,
manuscripts and artifacts from the church’s early years are on display in
the original building, classroom and museum, open Tuesday through
Friday, with Saturday tours by appointment and Sunday services. 235 N.
4th Street, (215) 925-7788, historicstgeorges.org

Art & Theater:
Mural Arts Philadelphia has an African American Iconic Images
Collection Trolley Tour in its repertoire, available for private
bookings.During the two-hour experience, visitors discover the people
and stories depicted on the larger-than-life artworks that adorn the city’s
buildings and walls. (215) 925-3633, muralarts.org
The Clef Club formed in 1966 through the efforts of Philadelphia’s
African-American musicians union, Union Local No. 274 of the
American Federation of Musicians. With notable members including
John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie, the social club played a significant
role in the advancement of jazz in Philadelphia and the world. In 1978, it
expanded its mission to include jazz performance, instruction and
preservation, becoming the nation’s first facility constructed specifically
as a jazz institution. Today, people enjoy concerts in the 240-seat
performance space. 738 S. Broad Street, (215) 893-9912,
clefclubofjazz.org
As one of the nation’s most honored black professional theater
companies, New Freedom Theatre has staged productions from
celebrated African-American playwrights such as James Baldwin, Ossie
Davis, Charles Fuller, Ntozake Shange, August Wilson and Leroi Jones.
Its alumni include Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men. 1346 N. Broad Street,
(888) 802-8998, freedomtheatre.org
Built in 1919, the Royal Theater served the city’s African-American
community by bringing performers such as Cab Calloway, Pearl Baily
and Billie Holiday to Philadelphia. Listed in the Philadelphia Register of
Historic Places, it also screened double features and films starring
African-American actors, including Philadelphia’s Paul Robeson.
Though it closed in 1970 and is currently slated to be developed into
residences, its façade—painted with a vibrant mural showcasing
performers Fats Waller and Bessie Smith—celebrates its heyday. 1524
South Street
Sculptures:
In 1927, African-American Pennsylvania legislator Samuel Beecher
Hart proposed a memorial that became All Wars Memorial to Colored
Soldiers and Sailors. Sculptor J. Otto Schweizer depicted
African-American officers and enlisted men surrounded by American
eagles and the allegorical figure of Justice, clutching symbols of Honor
and Reward. Initially installed in Fairmount Park, it later found its home
near Logan Circle on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. 20th Street &
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Sculptor Stephen Layne spent eight months creating the clay model
for the Smokin’ Joe Frazier memorial statue. He wanted to perfectly
Black Professionals News • August 17, 2018 11
capture the moment when the Philly native dropped Muhammed Ali with
a left hook in 15th round of “The Fight of the Century.” The 11-foot-tall,
1,800-pound bronze sculpture stands in the heart of South Philadelphia’s
sports area outside XFINITY Live! 1100 Pattison Avenue
African-American Facts About Philadelphia:
Julian Abele became the first African-American architect to design a
major museum in the United States when he laid plans for the
Philadelphia Museum of Art. The first African-American graduate of the
University of Pennsylvania School of Architecture, Abele also designed
the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Known as the “Black Capital of Anti-Slavery” in the 1800s,
Philadelphia was a hub for groups such as the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery
Society and the Pennsylvania Underground Railroad, whose president
and leaders resided in the city.
W. E. B. Du Bois’ The Philadelphia Negro serves as sociological
survey of the African-Americans living in the city’s Seventh Ward. The
mural Mapping Courage,painted on the firehouse at 601 South Street,
memorializes Du Bois’ book, the Seventh Ward and the local Engine #11
fire station, which was founded in 1871 and served as the city’s
unofficial African-American firehouse until the fire department
desegregated in 1952.
Established in 1884, The Philadelphia Tribune holds the distinction
as the country’s oldest daily newspaper serving the African-American
community. phillytrib.com
With 13,000 titles and 1,000 graphics and illustrations, The Library
Company of Philadelphia’s African Americana Collection contains one
of the most comprehensive collections by and about African-Americans.
Books, pamphlets, newspapers and periodicals ranging from the
mid-16th to early 20th centuries provide in-depth documentation of
African-American life in the country over the course of 400 years. 1314
Locust Street, (215) 546-3181, librarycompany.org
Albert C. Barnes possessed foresight as one of the first people in
America to consider African objects as art. The pieces he collected
between 1922 and 1924 became a central theme in the collection at the
Barnes Foundation, and he displayed the pieces along with works by
Renoir and Cézanne. A man known for his belief in social justice through
education, he was both interested and involved in the Harlem
Renaissance. 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 278-7200,
barnesfoundation.org
Visitphilly.com is the official visitor website for Philadelphia travel
and tourism information including hotels, restaurants, events, things to
do, history, museums, nightlife, shopping, attractions and more.
"The MisEducation of Women in Entertainment"
National Association of Black Female Executives in Music & Entertainment
www.NABFEMEsummit.com
12 Black Professionals News • August 17, 2018

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