The African American Experience

The African American Experience Summer 2023 Schedule

July 9: Pittsburg's Hill District (2022)

From the 1920s to the 1950s, Pittsburgh’s Hill District became a vibrant community of African American art, jazz, restaurants and businesses. Laurence Glasco, an Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh, joins us to talk about the history and significance of the Hill District.

July 16: The 351st Field Artillery Regiment in WWI (2021)

In this episode of the African American Experience, we talk about the history of the 351st Field Artillery Regiment in WWI with Samuel Black, Director of African American Programs at the Heinz History Center.

July 23: Interview with Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey

In this episode, we talk with Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey about his life, career, and philosophy.

July 30: Interview with Mike Marotte

In this episode, we talk with Mike Marotte about the life and inventions of Joseph Winters from Chambersburg, PA.

August 6: The Christiana Resistance of 1851 (2019)

On Sept. 11, 1851, Maryland slave-owner Edward Gorsuch arrived at the farm of William Parker in search of an enslaved person that Parker was hiding. Armed neighbors rushed to the scene and in the ensuing fight against the slave catchers Edward Gorsuch was killed. Thirty-eight men, mostly African American, were arrested, but after the first defendant was acquitted, the rest of the men were released. In this episode of the African American Experience, Darlene Colon, president of the Christiana Historical Society, tells the story of the Christiana Resistance of 1851.

August 20: Residential Segregation in Allentown (2021)

In the episode of the African American Experience, we talk to Wilberto Sicard about how state and local government policies contributed to residential segregation in Allentown and its impact on the city’s African American community. Sicard is the author of the paper "City with Limits: An Untold History of Residential Segregation and Education Inequality in Allentown, PA."

August 27: Rep. Joanna McClinton, Speaker of the PA House (2023 Premiere)

PCN speaks with Rep. Joanna McClinton, the first female Speaker of the PA House and the first woman and African American elected as House Democratic Caucus Chair.

September 3: The Great Migration & Black Politics in Philadelphia (2022)

The Great Migration was the massive movement of African American populations from the South seeking better socioeconomic opportunities in the North and West/Midwest. The movement lasted decades, but the first wave (1916-1930) brought major sociocultural changes in western Philadelphia neighborhoods. These changes laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights activism that would occur later.

September 10: The Dennis Farm (2020)

The Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust was founded in 2001 in the Endless Mountains. The farm is a historical site first purchased in 1793 by Prince and Judith Perkins, who were free African Americans. The Dennis Family has retained ownership of the farm, despite it not being a working farm since the twentieth century, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The African American Experience Summer 2022 Schedule

July 10: Interview with Superior Court Judge Carolyn Nichols

In this episode of the African American Experience, we talk with PA Superior Court Judge Carlyn Nichols about her life, career, and approach to the law.

July 17: Interview with Laurence Glasco

From the 1920s to the 1950s, Pittsburgh’s Hill District became a vibrant community of African American art, jazz, restaurants, and businesses. Laurence Glasco, an Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh, joins us to talk about the history and significance of the Hill District.

July 24: Interview with Samuel Black

In this episode, Samuel Black, director of African American Programs at the Heinz History Center, joins us to talk about the life of Martin Delany. Delany was born in 1812 in Charles Town, Virginia, and was an abolitionist, medical professional, newspaper publisher, author, advocate for African American emigration, and a Union Army officer during the Civil War.

July 31: Interview with Wynton Butler

Wynton Butler, the branch historian for the NAACP Reading Chapter, joins us to talk about the history and achievements of African Americans in Reading and Berks County.

August 7: Interview with Dr. Cheryl LaRoche

In this episode, we talk about the archaeology of the President’s House in Philadelphia and what archaeology can reveal about African American history. Our guest is Cheryl LaRoche. She is an archaeologist and Associate Research Professor at the University of Maryland and the author of “Free Black Communities and the Underground Railroad: The Geography of Resistance.”

August 21: Interview with Clem Harris

During the Great Migration, African Americans from the South moved to northern cities in search if growing employment opportunities and to escape Jim Crow. Joining us to talk about the Great Migration and Black politics in Philadelphia is Clem Harris, an Associate Professor of History at Utica University. He is the author of the chapter “Old Philadelphians, the Great Migration, and the Irony of Progressive Politics” in the book “If There is No Struggle, There Is No Progress: Black Politics in 20th Century Philadelphia.”