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A new exhibit on the African American experience in post-colonial Philadelphia offers a largely untold perspective on the city's rich history

A new exhibit on the African American experience in post-colonial Philadelphia offers a largely untold perspective on the city's rich history.

Opening today at the African American Museum at Seventh and Arch Streets, the exhibit marks a drastic turning point in how U.S. history is typically told.

"Audacious Freedom: African Americans In Philadelphia, 1776-1876" is the first permanent exhibit at the museum narrating an epic sweep stretching from slavery to the post-Civil War era. It includes two galleries and engaging life-size videos.

Visitors will get to learn about Philadelphians such as Black Alice, an enslaved African; abolitionist Robert Purvis; and Octavius Catto, a 19th-century political activist who was assassinated by whites in 1871.

Local officials hope the $4.5 million high-tech exhibit will provide a much-needed hub for an African American history trail that includes the President's House memorial, Mother Bethel AME Church, and other nearby attractions.
Read entire article at Philadelphia Inquirer