Panelists Errin Haines and Dr. Jesse McCarthy to Discuss “A Way Forward” During Forum on Racial Understanding Hosted with the Dennis Farm, Feb. 25

The Free Event Will Take Place Live at the Museum and Will be Livestreamed

The Event Marks the Sixth Annual Lonaé A. Moore Forum

With a shared commitment to presenting a more inclusive—and thus a more accurate—telling of history, the Museum of the American Revolution and the Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust (DFCLT) will host, “It Begins with Each of Us: Fostering Racial Understanding,” a candid conversation about race, at the Museum on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, from 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Panelists include Errin Haines, founder and editor-at-large for The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom covering the intersection of women, politics, and policy, and an MSNBC contributor, as well as Dr. Jesse McCarthy, professor of African American studies and English literature at Harvard University and author of Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul?. Adrienne G. Whaley, the Museum’s Director of Education and Community Engagement, will moderate the conversation.

The theme of this year's forum is “A Way Forward” and will focus on ways we can ensure that full stories of our nation’s past, including the contributions of people of African descent, are told today. Admission is free, but registration for this hybrid event is required for both in-person and virtual attendance.

The event marks the sixth annual Lonaé A. Moore Forum and is named in honor of Lonaé A. Moore (1997-2018), an eighth-generation direct descendant of the Dennis family and Delaware State University student who passed away in 2018. The forum takes place as part of the Museum’s Black History Month celebration in February.

“The Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust and the Museum of the American Revolution are committed to upholding the truths that are a basic tenet of American democracy—that all men and women are created equal with the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” said Denise Dennis, President and CEO of the Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust. “Racism, which is based on ignorance and the absence of truth, undermines democracy by dividing us. Through this Forum, we will share knowledge and the light of truth, which are powerful tools in the struggle to overcome racism and build unity.”

This hybrid forum is free to attend, but registration is required. To register for in-person attendance, please email [email protected]. To register for virtual attendance via Zoom, click here. Admission to the Museum’s galleries is included with event registration, which includes access to the new special exhibit Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia.

In the Museum’s galleries, guests are encouraged to view the powder horn of Gershom Prince, a Black soldier who served and died in the Revolutionary War, which is on display in the Museum’s Oneida Nation Gallery. The powder horn is on loan to the Museum from the Luzerne County Historical Society, where it was donated by Prince’s family—from which DFCLT President Denise Dennis descended—in the 1950s.

About Errin Haines
Errin Haines is a founding member and Editor at Large at The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom, and former Associated Press national writer covering race, politics, and culture in America. Haines appears frequently as a commentator for media outlets including MSNBC, CNN, NPR, and CBS.

About Jesse McCarthy
Dr. Jesse McCarthy is an assistant professor of African and African American Studies and English Literature at Harvard University, and the author of Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul?, a collection of essays that received the 2022 Whiting Award for Nonfiction and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He recently edited and wrote a new introduction for the Norton Library’s 2022 edition of W. E. B. Du Bois’ classic, The Souls of Black Folk.

About Adrienne G. Whaley
Adrienne G. Whaley serves as Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Museum of the American Revolution. She earned her bachelor's degree in African American Studies from Harvard University and her Master's in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Whaley has worked in both art and history museums, including the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum.

About The Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust
The Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, was created to preserve a rare-and beautiful-historic and cultural resource in the Endless Mountains of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. The 153-acre farm was founded by the Dennis family’s ancestors, free African Americans who came to Pennsylvania from Connecticut in 1793 and purchased land and has remained in the stewardship of the same family since then. The purpose of the Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust is to continue to develop the Dennis Farm into an education and cultural site for scholars, researchers, educators, cultural heritage tourists, school groups and others interested in. this extraordinary history. For more information, visit www.TheDennisFarm.org.

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 a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.