Breaking Uncommon Ground on the Delaware River

Independence Seaport Museum

Shad nets used by workers to catch shad as they swam in from the Atlantic Ocean to their breeding ground in the Upper Delaware. Courtesy of Independence Seaport Museum.

An exhibit about James Forten, a Philadelphia sailmaker who fought in the Revolutionary War and employed both white and black workmen who worked alongside one another, at Independence Seaport Museum. — An exhibit about James Forten, a Philadelphia sailmaker who fought in the Revolutionary War and employed both white and black workmen who worked alongside one another. Displayed is a kit that would have been used to sew sails. Image courtesy of Independence Seaport Museum.

Recipient

Grant Year 2023

Grant Amount $240,500

Status Active

Updated April 28, 2025

An oral history project collects the personal narratives of Black Philadelphians who have worked or lived along the Delaware River waterfront since the middle of the 20th century. Stories are presented in a reinstallation of the museum’s exhibition Tides of Freedom: The African Presence on the Delaware River and in a permanent public archive, offering perspectives on organized labor, the impact of highway construction on waterfront neighborhoods, and the role of Black women in waterfront culture and work. The project aims to document efforts by Black waterfront employees to secure better working conditions along with important structures like union buildings and other landmarks that are vulnerable to redevelopment and gentrification.

Visit the project website.

The total grant amount represents project funding plus an additional 20% in unrestricted general operating support.

Recipient

Independence Seaport Museum

Founded in 1960 as the Philadelphia Maritime Museum, Independence Seaport Museum (ISP) is a repository of art, artifacts, and archival materials documenting the diverse maritime history of the Greater Delaware Valley, and the history of major urban ports of the Delaware River. ISP also houses one of the largest collections of maritime art and artifacts in the country, and it operates the National Historic Landmark ships Cruiser Olympia and Submarine Becuna.

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