PANEL CONVERSATION - DAY OF FILM - TOURS - VIRTUAL PROGRAM
AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN IN ARTS AND CULTURE
PANEL CONVERSATION
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025
5:30 PM
IN-PERSON EVENT
THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Join the Chester County History Center for an illuminating panel conversation exploring the profound impact of African American women on arts and culture.
This dynamic discussion brings together three distinguished leaders whose work has shaped and transformed the cultural landscape: Dr. Felicia Bell, renowned public historian and former senior advisor to the director at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History; Imani Roach, Inaugural Director of the Brind Center for African and African Diasporic Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; and Patricia Wilson Aden, President & CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. The panel will be moderated by Diane Matthews, Founder and Executive Director of West Chester Dance Works and the Diane Matthews School of Dance Arts. The event will open with a piece from the production, Rachel Harris: One Woman Over the Line.
RUSTIN DAY OF FILM
A NIGHT OF SHORT FILMS
*
SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2025
6:00 PM
IN-PERSON EVENT
THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
TICKETS ARE $10 P/PERSON
The Chester County History Center will host its second annual RUSTIN: DAY OF FILM in honor of Bayard Rustin and in celebration of the stories and storytellers that elevate the African American and LGBTQ+ experiences.
The History Center will welcome guests to a 90-minute block of short films curated by our partners at the West Chester Film Festival, followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Frederick Taylor.
June is a special month to celebrate the powerful story of Bayard Rustin, the West Chester native and openly gay Black civil rights leader who dedicated his life to a quest for racial equality, and who serves as the inspiration for this Day of Film.
To explore the movies for the 2025 Rustin: Day of Film, click here.
STEALING FREEDOM ALONG THE MASON DIXON LINE
VIRTUAL TALK
TUESDAY JUNE 17, 2025
7:00 PM
VIRTUAL EVENT
THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
PAY AS YOU WISH
Join us for this virtual program delving into the story of Thomas McCreary, a Maryland slave catcher and kidnapper, who never took his captives before a court. The program presents a closeup view and insight into the controversies over slave catching and kidnapping.
Speaker Milt Diggins is a retired educator, an independent researcher, public historian, speaker, and author.
Admission is Pay as You Wish! Your donation is greatly appreciated. All proceeds benefit the development of future programming and the preservation of the History Center and its collections.
WALKING TOURS
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
The Underground Railroad was a network of people offering shelter and aid to enslaved men, women and children on their journeys to freedom. This small-group walking tour will visit eight locations around downtown West Chester that served as a backdrop for the people involved in this clandestine operation. Learn about the conductors, financiers, and stations that made the Underground Railroad possible, and discover the stories of some of those that made it to freedom and settled in West Chester.
The tour covers approximately 1.25 miles, lasts 90 minutes, and is entirely outdoors; sidewalks and terrain may be uneven. Event is rain or shine, so please dress for the weather. Service dogs are welcome; pets are not permitted on our public walking tours.
BAYARD RUSTIN'S WEST CHESTER
This walking tour highlights pivotal moments in the lifetime of Civil Rights icon Bayard Rustin, organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. Born in West Chester in 1912, Rustin developed his philosophy of non-violence through the influence of his grandmother, Julia Davis Rustin. This walking tour will visit locations that impacted his youth, and landmarks that witnessed Rustin’s return to the borough as an adult at the head of the fight for equal rights. This tour begins at the History Center and heads north of the downtown, eventually leading to the Historic Courthouse and the site of the 1966 March for Fair Housing, led by Rustin.
Tour lasts 60 minutes and covers approximately 1.25 miles. Tour is entirely outdoors; sidewalks and terrain may be uneven. Event is rain or shine, so please dress for the weather. Service dogs are welcome; pets are not permitted on our public walking tours.
Tickets are $16.00 (members of CCHC receive 20% discount with code.) Once purchased, tickets are NONREFUNDABLE and your admission fee supports the educational mission of the Chester County History Center. Thank you!
OUR COMMITMENT
Chester County History Center –CCHC- is committed to being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization that encourages participation and celebrates the value of a diverse staff and board representative of our community.
We are committed to offering participation opportunities for all community members, especially those from under-resourced and historically marginalized communities, and to serving, supporting, and being accessible to the diverse community of Chester County and beyond. Our commitment includes -but is not limited to- community members of all ages, abilities, economic circumstances, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
We are grateful for your support of our mission and commitment to all our community members.
All June events are possible thanks to our generous sponsors:
