Hidden City Philadelphia on the policing of Black bodies

Inter­est­ing arti­cle over­all but I was espe­cial­ly sad­dened by the laws passed when Friends were firm­ly in con­trol of the city’s gov­ern­ing council:

The coun­cil passed a law, in 1693, pro­hibit­ing African peo­ple from gath­er­ing in the city’s pub­lic spaces for the per­for­mance of reli­gious dance and music. They called them “tumul­tuous gatherings.”

Sev­en years lat­er, in 1700, the coun­cil pro­hib­it­ed gath­er­ings of more than four black people. 

1732, no black danc­ing or singing in pub­lic on Sunday.

1741, no “dis­or­der” pro­duced by African peo­ple at Court House Square.

Per­for­mance of Freedom

Posted June 11th, 2020 , in Quaker.