Date/Time
Date(s) - 01/17/2026 - 01/19/2026
12:00 pm - 2:15 pm
Location
Eastern State Penitentiary
Categories
Explore hands-on activities about civil rights, civic responsibility, and America’s founding ideals at Eastern State Penitentiary’s The Civil Rights Movement: Finding Justice. Historic Eastern State is America’s first penitentiary. The program will include Freedom Poetry inspired by Langston Hughes and others who wrote about Civil Rights, as well as poetry by those once incarcerated at Eastern State. Create your own poem envisioning justice in your life. Enjoy Family Story Station featuring children’s books about the Civil Rights Movement. 11 a.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. In a separate program, recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a two-hour experience about “the ongoing struggle to hold America accountable to its founding promise.” Through music from the Black Breath Collective, storytelling, and readings, hear the words and actions of people who struggled for civil rights. Dr. Keith Reeves, professor of political science at Swarthmore College, will lead a discussion. The event will be available in-person or online. Adults: Individual tickets, $17;free for kids ages 12 and under. Noon to 2:15 p.m. EST. For all ages. Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, 2027 Fairmount Ave. 215-236-3300 or https://easternstate.org/events/details/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-day or https://ticketing.easternstate.org/events/019b31dd-a785-bad6-172d-9f503f6217b1