Press Releases
Explore Stories of Unsung Revolutionaries During Black History Month at the Museum of the American Revolution
January 9, 2025
Annual Dennis Farm Forum on Racial Understanding to Be Held Feb. 1
Celebrate Black History Month and explore the stories of unsung Revolutionaries at the Museum of the American Revolution this February. Through an engaging forum on race, theatrical performances, and more, visitors can experience a more inclusive – and thus, more accurate – history of our nation’s founding.
Black History Month Highlights:
Member Morning: Black Voices Highlight Tour
Feb. 2, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.
Museum Members are invited to join a Museum educator for a 60-minute Black Voices of the Revolution tour of the core exhibit galleries highlighting a diverse set of stories, experiences, and objects related to people of African descent during the American Revolution.
First-Person Theatrical Performance: Meet Elizabeth Freeman
Sunday, Feb. 16, at 1:15 p.m. & 3:15 p.m.
In this live, first-person theatrical performance, learn about Elizabeth Freeman, a Massachusetts woman who sued for her freedom from enslavement – and won. “Meet Elizabeth Freeman” will be performed by actress Katelyn E. Appiah-Kubi and was written by playwright Teresa Miller. The original “Meet Elizabeth Freeman” performance starring actress Tiffany Bacon is also available to watch online, any time.
Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust's Lonae A. Moore Forum
February 1, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
In partnership with the Museum, the Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust will present the eighth annual Lonaé A. Moore Forum, “It Begins with Each of Us: Fostering Racial Understanding” on Saturday, Feb. 1. The theme of this year's forum is “The Declaration of Independence and Equality" and will explore the ways in which, despite its novelty and immediate promise, the Declaration surpassed expectations but also fell short; how its format and ideals have been adapted and have proliferated but also how it has yet to be fully realized even to this day.
Meet the Revolution: Leslie Bramlett
Sunday, Feb. 9, and Sunday, Feb. 16, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
On select Sundays in February, living historian Leslie Bramlett will join the Museum to explore the lives of two women of African descent connected to the Revolutionary era: Hannah Archer Till and Ona Judge. Bramlett will share stories about the roles and responsibilities of both women, their connections to George Washington, and how they found their freedom on different paths.
Gallery Highlights Tour: Black Voices of the Revolution
Saturdays & Sundays at 12:00 p.m.
Join a Museum educator for our 60-minute tour of the core exhibit galleries, which highlights a diverse set of stories, experiences, and objects related to people of African descent during the American Revolution. Along the way, you’ll see a first edition of Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, learn about Elizabeth Freeman’s historic court case, consider what the engraving “No Slavery” on a Continental Army soldier’s musket meant, and discuss Harry Washington’s international life. Through it all, you’ll have the opportunity to consider what words like freedom, liberty, and equality meant for different people within the Revolutionary era, and how these ideas continue to influence our lives today. Tickets can be purchased here.
Revolution Place Discovery Center
Saturday, Feb. 8 & 15, and Sunday, Feb. 2, 9, & 16, 2025, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Museum’s family-friendly discovery center, Revolution Place, will be open on select Saturdays and Sundays for kids and kids at heart to explore an immersive environment inspired by the Museum’s lively, diverse Old City neighborhood during the 1700s. Don’t miss themed crafts and activities, including making your own cap inspired by those worn by the Rhode Island Regiment, which consisted primarily of Black and Native American troops.
Discovery Carts, Pop-Up Talks, Crafts, and More:
Stop by a discovery cart to learn about Harry Washington, who was enslaved by the Washingtons but found freedom through service in the British army after hearing of Dunmore’s Proclamation, and listen to pop-up talks in our galleries about Phillis Wheatley, America’s first published Black female poet. At our replica sloop, unpack a sea chest with a Museum educator and explore what life was like at sea during the Revolutionary War. Learn the difference between the Continental Navy and privateers and who served aboard these ships, including free Black Philadelphian James Forten, who served as a privateer.
In the Museum’s galleries and in our Virtual Museum, explore other personal — often unfamiliar — stories of free and enslaved people of African descent during the Revolutionary era. Learn about Olaudah Equiano, who purchased his own freedom and published a memoir of his experiences; Lemuel Haynes, a veteran of the Revolutionary War who became the first Black man in the United States to be ordained a minister; London, an African American teenager who joined Benedict Arnold’s British American Legion as a trumpeter; among many others.
Additional Digital Resources:
Finding Freedom Interactive
The Museum’s virtual resources are always available, including the award-winning Finding Freedom digital interactive, which examines the stories of enslaved people of African descent in Virginia who followed different paths to freedom during the Revolutionary War. These stories are also available to explore in the Museum’s galleries via a touchscreen kiosk.
Finding Freedom: Deborah’s Choice
Derived from the Museum’s Finding Freedom interactive, this first-person theatrical performance places 16-year-old Deborah in the moment of decision-making where she must choose whether to leave her community at Mount Vernon behind to seek her freedom with the British or to remain enslaved and risk not reaching for the dreams she might have for herself.
First Person Theatrical Performance: Meet James Forten
Meet a young James Forten as he learns the sailmaking trade alongside his father and encounters people in his community who help him decide to serve as a privateer during the Revolutionary War. This 20-minute performance of “Meet James Forten” stars Nathan Alford-Tate and was written by Marissa Kennedy.
Black Founders Virtual Tour
Immerse yourself in 360-degree panoramic gallery images, high-resolution photos of the artifacts and documents, a guided audio tour, and music station to explore the story of free Black Philadelphian James Forten and his descendants.
The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets to the Museum can be purchased by calling 215.253.6731, at AmRevMuseum.org, or at the front desk. Save $2 per adult ticket by purchasing online. Kids ages 5 and under are always free. All tickets are valid for two consecutive days.
About Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution uncovers and shares compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that sparked America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality, and self-government. Through the Museum’s unmatched collection, immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and interactive elements, visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in ensuring that the promise of the American Revolution endures. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum, which opened on April 19, 2017, is an independent, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.