Anderson@Large

#ThisPlaceMatters: Abolition Hall Update

The next episode of the Abolition Hall drama will play out before the Whitemarsh Township Board of Supervisors on July 19.

A recap: Abolition Hall is one of three historic landmarks on the George Corson homestead in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. A developer, K. Hovnanian Homes, proposes to build 67 townhomes on the surrounding fields where runaway slaves hid.

Underground Railroad Scholar Charles L. Blockson recently wrote:

The proposed development plan for the historic Corson homestead at Butler and Germantown Pikes in the heart of the Plymouth Meeting National Historic Register District is cause for profound concern. As drawn, this plan fails to recognize the unmatched and nuanced history of this once busy station on the Underground Railroad.

The development proposal — under review by the Whitemarsh Township Board of Supervisors — depicts 67 townhouses. They will be erected upon land that had been continuously cultivated since the mid-1700s, land that helped sustain the Corson family (and the generation before them) during the half-century of anti-slavery activism that made this homestead a hub of Underground Railroad activities.

Furthermore, the development comes within 50 feet of Abolition Hall (emphasis added), which George Corson constructed in 1856 to welcome seekers and speakers, including Frederick Douglass, Lucretia Mott, and William Lloyd Garrison.

To be clear, Friends of Abolition Hall and their allies do not oppose development on the site. Instead, we want the developer to present a plan, which respects that which came before.

The Board of Supervisors will not make a decision on Thursday. Fact is, the drama will be far from over even when a zoning decision is made. So in the coming months, I will use search engine tools to tell the story of Abolition Hall to prospective buyers at the Villages at Whitemarsh.

In the meantime, Avenging The Ancestors Coalition is providing free roundtrip rides to the July 19 meeting. Meet ATAC at 6:00pm at Zion Baptist Church, Broad and Venango.

Coding is Cool

Yo, Philly Votes

Election Day is 55 days away. With the Cost of Freedom Voter ID App, I’m helping voters get ready.

I’m now developing an app to help protect the rights of those who show up on Election Day.

I’d like to share an excerpt from my post about the Ushahidi-powered Yo! Philly Votes, which was published yesterday on the Ushahidi blog:

I am a voting rights activist who has monitored elections in Angola, Ethiopia and Nigeria, and led democracy workshops in Kazakhstan. Since 2006, I have live-blogged from Election Day command centers organized by the Election Protection Coalition and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

I’m now spearheading Yo! Philly Votes, a citizen-led initiative that will crowdsource election protection in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the American democracy.

Read more: Yo! Philly Votes Will Turn Data into Action

The Presence of Absence

Where the Philly Occupiers at?

Capitol Offenses

Next week, thousands of displaced Occupiers from across the country are expected to converge in DC to “take back the Capitol.”

Meanwhile, the National Park Service reportedly is ready to take back Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square from Occupy DC (there are two separate camps).

The Washington Post reported:

In D.C., Occupy protesters have interpreted a new notice from the National Park Service as proof that their encampment’s days, too, are numbered, but they say they aren’t going anywhere.

The memo, released Nov. 23, states that U.S. Park Police officers will be increasing patrol activities at McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza “due to increasing problems of public urination and defecation, illegal drug and alcohol use, and assaults.” The memo also reminds protesters that camping is prohibited in both parks.

Last month, I visited McPherson Square, aka “Camp David.”

It's hard to believe that mess is just two blocks from the the White House. You get a sense of the doom and gloom as soon as you exit the McPherson Square Metro stop, which the homeless have occupied for years.

Truth be told, McPherson Square has long been a gathering place for the homeless. When I lived in DC, I avoided both the Metro stop and the park after dark.

If you're interested, the Park Service memo is available here.