In 1896, W.E.B. Du Bois moved into a single room in Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward and spent a year conducting the first scientific sociological study of a Black community in American history. The result was ‘The Philadelphia Negro’ (1899), a foundational text that changed how America understood Black urban life.
Start at the corner of 7th and Lombard Streets. Walk west toward Broad Street along South Street, then north through the residential blocks between 7th and 10th Streets. The neighborhood is walkable but the weight of what you’re measuring will slow you down. Recommended companion text: The Philadelphia Negro (1899), available at Hakim’s Bookstore on 52nd Street and at Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books in Germantown.