The Philadelphia Historic District’s “52 Weeks of Firsts” begins its second month of historical highlights with Mother Bethel AME Church, the African Methodist Episcopal congregation created back in 1794.

“You can’t talk about the story of the birth of America without recognizing and uplifting the contributions of people of African descent,” said Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness,  a recent Billies Awards recipient who happens to be the first woman to serve as pastor of Mother Bethel. “So we have deemed even our mantra for this year, ‘Celebrating Black excellence from America’s beginning.’ ”

To celebrate, the church, located at 6th and Lombard streets, will host the Historic District’s sixth “Firstival” on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The series of free public events kicks off each week with activities, entertainment and storytelling from Historic Philly’s Once Upon a Nation.

Cavaness said Saturday’s festivities will include African drumming and singing, crafts, access to the museum dedicated to AME church founder Richard Allen, and several of his descendants in attendance. 

The Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness in the sanctuary at Mother Bethel AME Church. (Courtesy Mother Bethel AME)

Reflecting Black History Month, three Saturdays in February will focus on Philadelphia’s place in African American history. In addition to Mother Bethel this month, the Historic District will also commemorate the first abolitionist society in America (Feb. 14) and the first public protest against slavery (Feb. 28). 

For Cavaness and other “Firstival” organizers, current events have made the need to retell this history even more important. Last month at the President’s House Site, National Park Service workers were directed to remove a permanent exhibition on the nine enslaved people who worked there for George Washington, leading to public outrage and a lawsuit filed by the city of Philadelphia. 

“Certainly, we have been impacted: Bishop Allen and Father Absalom Jones’s likenesses were a part of [the President’s House exhibit],” Cavaness said. “So, to be the institution that he built even more amplifies lifting up his story, lifting up the stories of other people of African descent, those nine [enslaved] souls.”

Each “first” celebration is commemorated with a sculpture in the shape of a numeral 1, uniquely painted by one of 25 local artists selected by Mural Arts Philadelphia. Iris Barbee Bonner was chosen to paint the sculpture to reside outside Mother Bethel, as well as the one marking the first abolitionist society in America, which will be housed at the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Bonner said grew up in the AME church and knew she wanted to pay homage to it.

A sculpture in the shape of a numeral 1, uniquely painted by artist Iris Barbee Bonner for the Philadelphia Historic District’s “52 Weeks of Firsts” celebrations. (Nick Kariuki/Billy Penn)

Once Upon A Nation storyteller Courtney Mitchell will recount the history of Mother Bethel AME Church on Saturday. Her storytelling at a press event on Thursday was a tearful experience and deeply personal for Mitchell, whose mother Barbara died on Jan. 24. Mitchell said she was learning her lines while taking care of her mother in hospital. A teacher who knew the story of the church well, her mother told Mitchell how wonderful it was that she was going to tell it.

“When I think of all that my mother was and how she always raised me to learn who you are, be proud of who you are, and also never stop fighting, and also never stop believing in your self-worth — when I think of this story, I think of my mom and all she raised me to be,” she said.

In the coming weeks

Here is the complete list of other firsts being highlighted this year, along with the upcoming Saturday “firstival” dates and locations.

The first:

Completed
Week 1:  Successful balloon flight in America (1793)

Week 2: The Mummers parade, the nation’s first folk parade (1901)

Week 3: Volunteer fire company (1736)

Week 4: Professional basketball league (1898)

Week 5: Public Girl Scout cookie sale (1932)

Upcoming

African Methodist Episcopal congregation (1794)
Feb. 7, Mother Bethel AME Church, 419 S. 6th St.

Abolitionist society in America (1775)
Feb. 14, African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St.

Authentic Chinese gate built in America (1984)
Feb. 21, Crane Building, 1400 N. American St.

Public protest against slavery in America (1688)
Feb. 28, Historic Germantown Mennonite Meetinghouse, 6119 Germantown Ave.

Flower Show (1829)
March 7, Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St.

Women’s medical college (1850)
March 14, Health Sciences Building, Drexel University, 60 N. 36th St.

Match folder (1892)
March 21, Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut St.

The first medical school in America (1765)
March 28, Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Civic Center Blvd.

Stadium in America (1895)
April 4, Franklin Field, 235 S. 33rd St.

Circus performance in America (1793)
April 11, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, 6452 Greene St.

Botanical garden (1728)
April 18, Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd.

Postmaster (1737)
April 25, Franklin Court, 322 Market St.

American-made piano and sousaphone (1775 and 1893)
May 2, Ensemble Arts Philly, 300 S. Broad St.

Mother’s Day (1908)
May 9, Historic St. George’s Museum & Archives, 326 New St.

Hospital in America (1751)
May 16, Pennsylvania Hospital, 800 Spruce St.

World’s Fair on American soil (1876)
May 23, Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic

Steamboat for passengers and freight (1787)
May 30, Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.

American flag (1777)
June 6, Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch St.

U.S. Army (1775)
June 13, Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd St.

Annual Reminder demonstration (1965)
June 20, Philly Pride Visitor Center, Lombard St. and S. 12th St.

Paper maker in America (1690)
June 27, Rittenhouse Town, 6034 Wissahickon Ave.

Bank of the United States (1791)
July 4, First Bank of the United States, 120 S. 3rd St.

Organized baseball team (1831)
July 11 (location TBD)

Ice cream soda (Oct. 1874)
July 18, Franklin Fountain, 116 Market St. 

American art school (1805)
July 25, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St.

Scientific Society of Natural History (1812)
Aug. 1, at Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Zoo in America (1874)
Aug. 8, Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave.

U.S. Mint (1793)
Aug. 15 (location TBD)

Selfie (1839)
Aug. 22, Love Park, 1501 John F Kennedy Blvd.

Slinky (1943)
Aug. 29, Philadelphia Art Museum, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Signing of the Constitution (1787)
Sept. 5, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St.

Continental Congress (1774)
Sept. 12 at Carpenters’ Hall, 320 Chestnut St.

Naming of the United States (1776)
Sept. 19, Independence Hall

Ronald McDonald House (1974)
Sept. 26, Ronald McDonald House, 3925 Chestnut St.

Penitentiary in America (1829)
Oct. 3, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave.

The First Peoples
Oct. 10, Penn Museum, 3260 South St.

U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775)
Oct. 17, Arch Street Meeting House, 320 Arch St.

Public showing of a motion picture (1870)
Oct. 24, Philadelphia Film Society, 1412 Chestnut St.

Modern detective story written (1841)
Oct. 31, Edgar Allan Poe House, 532 N. 7th St.

Thanksgiving Day parade in America (1920)
Nov. 7, Benjamin Franklin Parkway

University in America (1740)
Nov. 14, Houston Hall, The University of Pennsylvania, 3417 Spruce St.

Children’s hospital in America (1855)
Nov. 21, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Main Building, 3401 Civic Center Blvd.

Pencil with an attached eraser (1858)
Nov. 28, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St.

Weather bureau (1870)
Dec. 5, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.

Electronic computer (1945)
Dec. 12, The University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut St.

Public lending library in America (1731)
Dec. 19, The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St.

Philly food firsts: Cheesesteaks (1930s), water ice (1932) and bubble gum (1928)
Dec. 26, Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St.