WHYY's 'We the People': Revolutions for Everyone

In partnership with the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, WHYY invites you to a dynamic conversation at the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Set against a new exhibition on the Haitian and French Revolutions, this program brings historians and community members together to examine how these transformative movements reshaped notions of freedom, citizenship, and belonging 250 years ago—and continue to resonate today.

The evening will feature engaging dialogue, a live Haitian musical performance, and guided tours of the exhibition’s rare artifacts. Together, we’ll reflect on how the meaning of “We the People” has been contested, expanded, and reimagined across time.

While the Declaration of Independence boldly spoke in the name of “the people,” it simultaneously excluded Indigenous Americans and enslaved Africans—drawing lines of belonging that would influence American law, culture, and power for generations. Yet within those same words lay a powerful tool: a language of liberty that marginalized communities would use to challenge exclusion and demand their rightful place in the nation.

This compelling community convening explores how revolutionary ideals traveled far beyond America’s borders—most notably to Haiti, where enslaved Africans launched a historic uprising against French colonial rule. Beginning in 1791 and led by Toussaint L’Ouverture, the Haitian Revolution resulted in the first free Black republic in the Western Hemisphere. As Haitian refugees arrived in Philadelphia, their presence challenged Americans to confront the contradictions between their ideals and their realities.

This event is made possible with generous support from the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial.

Moderator

Sarah Glover

Vice President of News & Civic Dialogue at WHYY in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has worked in local news for three decades and is the former managing editor at MPR News, Minnesota Public Radio. She also previously worked as a social media manager at NBC Owned Television Stations and NBC10 Philadelphia. She started her career as a staff photojournalist and worked at both the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News. Glover received an MBA from Temple University Fox School of Business, a dual bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and a master’s degree from Edinboro University (PennWest). She was a 2021 Nieman Visiting Fellow at Harvard University.

Panelists

Alain Joinville

As Deputy Director of the Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs he advances policies and partnerships that support the city’s immigrant communities. As the son of Haitian immigrants, he brings personal insight and professional commitment to strengthening opportunities for newcomers. With nearly two decades of senior leadership in local government, Alain is a systems builder, coalition leader, and strategic communications expert. His experience spans developing communications strategies, securing funding, managing diverse stakeholder partnerships, and leading complex, cross‑departmental initiatives.

John Davies

Adjunct Associate Professor in the Intellectual Heritage Program, Temple University and a Delaware County native and teaches in history and the humanities at three area universities, teaching, among other things, courses on U.S. history, World history, and political violence. He received his PhD in history at the University of Delaware. His research on Black refugees from the Haitian Revolution and the lives they made for themselves in Philadelphia has been published in the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography and in the edited volume, New Directions in Slavery Studies.

DATE & TIME

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

LOCATION

Penn's Kislak Center

3420 Walnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104

Free Ticket

A ticket with no entrance fee.

USD

Additional Donation

USD