Quakers & Slavery: Equality with Caveats

In the first “It’s More Than History” lecture of 2025, hear from Jennifer Gray, Education & Museum Manager at Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia. She’ll be speaking about “Quakers & Slavery: Equality with Caveats.” The lecture will discuss the complicated history between Quakers and the Black members of their community. When asked, most visitors to the Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia can quickly link the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) with abolition. However, support for abolition certainly varied between individuals, congregations, and geographic regions, and differences—sometimes stark—can be seen within these groups simultaneously. For generations, racial prejudice often prevailed alongside specific efforts to curb these injustices. “Quakers & Slavery: Equality with Caveats” will open a conversation about how Quakers during abolition interpreted the ideas of equality and equity in contrary ways.

Jennifer Gray has over a decade of experience in museum education, working at sites such as the Eastern State Penitentiary, Liberty Hall Museum & Gardens, and the Betsy Ross House. She joined the staff at Arch Street Meeting House in 2021 and holds a BA in history & an MA in education, both from Arcadia University.

This lecture is one of three sponsored by the Baltimore National Heritage Area and presented by The Peale. Additional lectures will be presented online on March 7 and April 25. All are presented for free. Catch up on past lectures on The Peale’s YouTube channel.