Author Talk: Allener M. Baker-Rogers and Fasaha M. Traylor

Join us for a discussion with authors Allener M. Baker-Rogers and Fasaha M. Traylor. Their book, They Carried Us: The Social Impact of Philadelphia’s Black Women Leaders, will introduce you to some of Philadelphia’s fiercest Black women leaders, ranging from the first Black woman known to be born in Philadelphia (1694) to the woman whose childhood experiences led her to become a surgeon and medical advisor to celebrities. All of the women “bring it” as activists— in community and movement work, business and civic institutions, education, faith, medicine, law and government, journalism, sports, and the arts. And they have had larger-than-life impacts on the city, the country, and the world.  

Historical research and original interviews of contemporary women place Philadelphia’s Black women on center stage. Their power comes not just from what they did as individuals, but from how their efforts snowballed into a Philadelphia community of women which spanned geographies, sectors, and time.  

The words of the book’s contemporary women are memorable. One woman observed that if the authors “had not written this book it wouldn’t have been done.” Another said, “This is who Black women are. Not just me, but Black women.” The authors’ experiences as activists, researchers, and educators—and of frequently being the “only Black woman in the room”— fills the book not just with facts, but with genuine empathy.  

These are the stories of the Black women in one of the country’s most important cities, and who let no obstacle deter them from changing the game. This program is part of the Black Lives Always Mattered! public program series at the Blockson Collection, which is made possible through the support of the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage grant.  

Moderator: Broadcast Journalist, Karen Warrington Warrington, who is featured in the book, has played many roles in her life. She was Press Secretary of Mayor(s) Wilson Goode and Ed Rendell; News Director at WDAS AM/FM radio; producer of WKBS TV “On Target” a weekly public affairs program; worked with Model Cities a Cultural Arts program as Administrator and Choreographer; and served as Director of Communications in the office of Congressman Robert A. Brady (D., PA) and represented Rep. Brady as a member of the Mayor's Oversight Committee for the President's House Memorial at Independence National Historical Park.  

This program is part of the Black Lives Always Mattered! public program series at the Blockson Collection, which has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.  

This program will be presented via Zoom. On the day of the program, use this link to join: https://temple.zoom.us/j/97717122821.  

All programs are free and open to all, and registration is encouraged.