Byberry Township African American Burial Ground Presentation

There is an unmarked and overgrown African American burial ground located in Byberry Township in northeast Philadelphia. Originally, the name of this site was The Burying Place For All Free Negroes or People of Color within Byberry. The name has since been changed to The Byberry Township African American Burial Ground. This presentation will discuss the first phase of a project to memorialize the 200+ year old burial site. Over the course of a year, The Society to Preserve Philadelphia African American Assets (SPPAAA) and The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia (PAGP) have partnered to develop an interpretive plan to honor those interred at this unmarked site. This project was funded by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Henry A. Jordan Preservation Excellence Fund.

Hannah Wallace served as the consultant for PAGP and SPPAAA to complete the first phase of the Byberry Township African American Burial Ground memorialization project. Through this role, she met and joined the nearby staff of Byberry Friends Meeting as the Community Engagement Coordinator. Separately, she serves as the Manager of Creative Youth Development with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

Mary Ellen McNish is a member and Trustee of Byberry Friends Quaker Meeting. She previously served as president and CEO of The Hunger Project in New York from 2010 to 2015 as well as the General Secretary and CEO of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) from 2000 to 2010.

Register Here: https://25017.blackbaudhosting.com/25017/Unheeded–Lone-The-Byberry-Township-African-American-Burial-Ground.

Watch ONLINE via ZOOM from the safety and comfort of your home. A link with instructions will be provided at 3 pm on October 3, 2023. If you register past that time, the link will be included in the confirmation email. A replay link will be emailed to all registrants the Friday after the presentation.