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We Are All Bound Up Together: Frances E.W. Harper Mural at GSFS



On Thursday, October 30, 2025, Greene Street Friends School will host the official dedication ceremony of the Frances E. W. Harper Mural: We Are All Bound Up Together. The ceremony will feature speakers from the Mural Arts Program, Mother Bethel Church, the Center for Black Digital Studies at Penn State University, elected officials from the City of Philadelphia, GSFS students and staff, and will be emceed by Ursula Rucker. This public dedication ceremony begins at 1pm in the municipal parking lot at Armat and Germantown Avenues, and all are invited to attend.

So who was Frances E. W. Harper? 

If you have never heard of Frances E. W. Harper, you are not alone. To be honest, many of us at GSFS knew very little about Harper when the Mural Arts Program reached out to us last spring with their request to host a mural in her honor at our school. This mural is just one of many commemorative events celebrating the 200th anniversary of Harper's birthday. 

Harper was a poet, writer, orator, and abolitionist — and in fact, she was the most popular Black poet and most prolific Black novelist of her time. Born free in Baltimore in 1825 and orphaned when she was three, Harper received a classical education at her uncle’s school and would grow up to become one of the most popular public speakers of her time, appearing at events alongside Frederick Douglass and others. She toured all over the country reading her poetry and speaking about abolition before later turning her attention to the issues of suffrage and temperance. She was a close friend of William Still and his family here in Philadelphia, collaborated with Harriet Tubman, traveled with Sojourner Truth, and engaged passionately with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton on issues of women’s rights. Although she did not use the term, she spoke on the importance of intersectionality and fighting justice in ways that accounted for the complexities of being both Black and a woman. She insisted on an analyses of injustice and discrimination through a systemic lens, and dedicated her life to the struggle for liberation, a struggle we know is ongoing in our world today. 


“In more ways than one, a mural dedicated to Frances E. W. Harper’s legacy aligns perfectly with our values here at GSFS, and her image on our building will serve as a reminder to ourselves to fight for justice even when — perhaps especially when — it’s hard. ”








In the spirit of community, the mural will also feature other Black women activists and contemporaries of Harper with Philadelphia roots: Harriet Forten Purvis, Mary Ann Shadd Cary, Nannie Helen Burroughs, and Charlotte Forten Grimke. As a special recognition of the mural’s tie to GSFS and the Germantown community, the side wall of the mural will feature an image of Risë Wilson, an alumna who has dedicated her own life to arts, activism, and justice, and the names of Philadelphia poets and activists, Sonia Sanchez, Ursula Rucker, Yolanda Wisher, and Trapeda Mason.



As we look at the particular challenges we face right now in the world—and there are many—learning about Harper’s activism, and her staunch and stubborn dedication to justice, offers all of us a way forward. Let us continue Harper’s work for liberation for all.


Stewarding Harper's Legacy at GSFS
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As stewards of this historic mural, GSFS is bringing Harper’s legacy to life in a variety of ways:

  • On October 6, 7, and 8, Ursula Rucker facilitated special poetry workshops with our 7th grade students, and their work will be published in a special pamphlet/zine that will become part of the Harper digital exhibit online.
  • On October 15, faculty and staff engaged in a dedicated professional development workshop to learn about Harper’s life and legacy.
  • On Friday, October 17, our 8th grade students participated in an in-school paint day with mural artist, Athena Scott. They also learned about Harper in a brief lesson with Dr. Denise Burgher from the Center for Black Digital Research.
  • On October 18, at the annual Fall Fair, we hosted a Community Paint Day with Mural Arts - thank you to all who participated and helped to bring the mural to life! 
  • On October 30, GSFS students will partake in special assembly where they will have the opportunity to hear from the mural’s artist, Athena Scott.
  • A team of teachers has been collaborating with the Center for Black Digital Research to create curriculum related to the mural. This curriculum will be shared locally and nationally for anyone who would like to learn more about Harper.
  • Our middle school dance elective students are working on interpreting Harper’s legacy through dance and music, and will perform at the dedication ceremony.
  • Educators from the University of Delaware’s Dance and Theater department will host workshops for some classes to further our learning about Harper.
  • Plans are also underway for integrating Harper’s legacy into several signature GSFS programs, such as our annual MLK Day of Action, Black History Month programming, and spring performances.


If you have any questions about the mural, please reach out to Tricia Ebarvia, Director of DEI, or Darien Headen, Associate Head of School.