Members only. Registration required. Virtual.

Race is a social construct. Yet the idea of race, as humans have come to use it – classifying people by place of ancestral origin and by certain physical characteristics – has real world consequences. At one time, both at Eastern State and outside its walls, this meant segregation through both customs and the law.

Join Adrienne Whaley of the Museum of the American Revolution, guest curator of Eastern State’s 2021 Pop-Up Museum, to examine how racial segregation functioned at Eastern State, how incarceration exacerbates racial tensions, and how racism impacted the lives of those who were incarcerated and worked at the penitentiary.

Adrienne G. Whaley is an educator and history-lover who currently serves as Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Museum of the American Revolution. Adrienne earned her Bachelor's degree in African American Studies from Harvard University and her Master's in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked in both art and history museums and loves the potential for objects, artifacts and primary source documents to enrich student learning experiences. She carries her love of history and for uncovering the stories of common people into her spare time as an avid genealogist researching her own family history and as Programming Chair and former President of Philadelphia's African American Genealogy Group.

Please Note: This Member Saturday experience will be held online. Registrants will receive a Zoom link via email. To ensure you receive this link, please try to register at least 24 hours in advance.

This event is free for all members. Reserve free tickets online or call 215-236-5111 x224. Space is limited. 

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