Extraordinary Ordinary: Black People in Northern Liberties before 1860

Artist: 1838 Black Metropolis

Category: Walking Tour

Location: Northern Liberties

Date & Time: Sunday, July 27th, 4:00-6:30PM

Paschall’s Alley was once a major Underground Railroad site, tucked quietly into the fabric of everyday life in Northern Liberties. This upcoming experience from 1838 Black Metropolis uncovers how ordinary Black residents helped build this area of safety and resistance in the 1830s and 1840s, shaping a vibrant community rooted in faith, family, and freedom.

We begin with a walking tour of the neighborhood, visiting Zoar and Union Churches, and the unassuming rowhomes, still standing today, that were owned by Black families whose stories have been hidden in plain sight. Along the way, we’ll explore the people and institutions that made this neighborhood a foundation for future generations.

The tour culminates in a poetry takeover of Paschall’s Alley, honoring the legacy of Jessie Redmon Fauset, whose father grew up here. We’ll install works by Harlem Renaissance poets she championed, like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, and invite contemporary poets to improvise in real time, drawing inspiration from the lives, spaces, and spirit of the past. In the very alley where freedom was built, we’ll speak their names and celebrate their legacy through poetry and performance.

Explore the StoryMaps for the tour here. 

Register here