Check out these spots at or near Temple with rich African American cultural significance. 

You know that throughout its more than 140-year history, Temple University has celebrated Black voices and stories. What you may not know is that Temple’s Main Campus in North Philadelphia hosts several spots with rich cultural significance. Check out these nine places at Temple where Black history is preserved and celebrated.  

Baptist Temple

Photography by Betsy Manning

Baptist Temple, opened in 1891, became a center of activity in North Philadelphia thanks to Temple University founder Russell Conwell’s passionate sermons. After Conwell's death, the Baptist Temple continued to flourish as many influential intellectual and political figures spoke there, including Martin Luther King Jr. Currently, the building houses the Temple Performing Arts Center after being restored in 2010.

Cecil B. Moore Avenue

Photography by Betsy Manning

This thoroughfare through campus was named for Cecil Bassett Moore, LAW ‘53, a civil rights activist who worked to improve the lives of North Philadelphia residents. Moore even earned a law degree from Temple and served as president of the local NAACP and sat on Philadelphia’s City Council. He championed numerous causes, including the integration of schools and trade unions, police brutality, and political and economic representation for poor African Americans.  

Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection

Photography by Ryan S. Brandenberg

Located in Sullivan Hall, the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection is one of the most prestigious collections focused on Black history and culture in the United States, with more than 500,000 unique artifacts spanning more than 400 years. This collection, which is open to the public, was founded by historian Charles Blockson and donated to Temple in 1984. Items include first edition works of W.E.B. Dubois and Phyllis Wheatley, narratives by Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth, and manuscripts of lyrics by late rapper Tupac Shakur.   

Sullivan Progress Plaza

Photography by Betsy Manning

Built in 1968, Sullivan Progress Plaza is the country’s first shopping center owned and operated by African Americans. It’s currently anchored by the Fresh Grocer Supermarket and remains a point of pride in North Philadelphia, including the nearby Temple community. In 2016, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission unveiled a historical marker on North Broad Street to acknowledge Sullivan Progress Plaza’s national impact and honor Leon H. Sullivan, who inspired the project. 

Church of the Advocate

Photography by Betsy Manning

This church, bordering campus at 18th and Diamond streets, has been deemed a National Historic Landmark by the National Parks Service. It became a significant center for activism during the Civil Rights Movement, hosting the National Conference on Black Power in 1968 and the Revolutionary People’s Constitutional Convention in 1970. It was also the first Episcopal church to ordain women, and it is known for having hosted many notable figures including Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Angela Davis, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Stokely Carmichael and John Coltrane. 

Gladfelter and Mazur halls

Photography by Ryan S. Brandenberg

Gladfelter Hall houses the Department of Africology and African American Studies, one of the oldest in the United States and the first to offer a doctoral program. Students advocated for this department during the Black Power movement to combat racism, discrimination and oppression. Currently, department faculty edit the Journal of Black Studies, the top peer-reviewed publication in the field. The adjacent Mazur Hall now contains Temple’s Center for Anti-Racism, directed by Associate Professor of Africology and African American Studies Timothy Welbeck, which aims to solve issues of racial inequality, antisemitism and anti-LGBTQIA+ actions. 

Mitten Hall  

In 1966, jazz legend and longtime North Philadelphia resident John Coltrane recorded the live album Offering: Live at Temple University in Mitten Hall. The famous performance was released posthumously in 2014 to honor Coltrane’s 88th birthday. It was awarded the Grammy for Best Album Notes following its release, and all proceeds from the record benefit the John Coltrane House, also located in North Philadelphia. Besides being one of the last live performances of his life, it is widely acclaimed by critics as one of Coltrane’s most avant-garde recordings. 

Dox Thrash House 

Innovative Black painter and printmaker Dox Thrash lived in a home at 23rd and Cecil B. Moore recognized for its unique architecture. A WWI veteran, Thrash moved to Philadelphia in 1925 and was known for depicting African Americans in everyday life in his work. Along with two colleagues, he is credited as the inventor of the carborundum mezzotint style of printmaking, famous for its dramatic contrast and texture. 

Uptown Theater 

This Black entertainment center on North Broad showcased many of the nation’s most beloved doo-wop, soul, R&B and jazz artists. It was a well-known venue on the Chitlin' Circuit—a network of venues across the country where Black performers were welcomed during segregation—from the 1950s to the 1970s. Notable performers include The Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and James Brown.