The relationship between the City of Brotherly Love and its Black residents has been complicated from the city’s founding through the present day. A Black Philadelphia Reader traces this complex history in the words of Black writers who were native to, lived in, or had significant connections to the city.

Featuring the works of famous authors—including W. E. B. Du Bois, Harriet Jacobs, Sonia Sanchez and John Edgar Wideman—alongside lesser-known voices, this reader is an immersive and enriching composite portrait of the Black experience in Philadelphia. Through fiction and nonfiction, poetry and prose, readers witness episodes of racial prejudice and gender inequality in areas like public health, housing, education, policing, criminal justice, and public transportation. And yet amid these myriad challenges, the writers convey an enduring faith, a love of family and community, and a hope that Philadelphia will fulfill its promises to its Black citizens.

Thoughtfully introduced and accompanied by notes that contextualize the works and aid readers’ comprehension, this book will appeal to a wide audience of Philadelphians and other readers interested in American, African American, and urban studies.

Collection features an array of historical and contemporary Black voices such as Richard Allen, Absolom Jones, Hariet Jacobs, Emilie Davis, and W. E. B. DuBois, to Sonia Sanchez, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Major Jackson, and Ross Gay, among numerous others.

Every author included was not only born in Philadelphia but resided there for several years or during a significant time in their lives.

Each piece is accompanied by a rich contextual introduction to the author.