The Commonwealth MonIn honor of the late Lenwood “Leni” Sloan of Lancaster, known and revered as an historian, cultural steward and self-described “catalytic agent,” the African American Historical Society of South Central Pennsylvania and the Lancaster Public Library will continue to host and support the series of free public events Sloan organized last year before his unexpected passing. Titled “Lancaster Live & Learn: Animating Democracy 2026 —The William Whipper Reading Circle,” the overall series has been named in honor of William Whipper (1804-1876), the noted 19th century entrepreneur from Columbia, Lancaster County who rose to national prominence as an author and an activist who advocated for Black civil rights and was a conductor of the secretive work of the Underground Railroad
According to an outline Leni Sloan prepared for this series, William Whipper began the reading circle in his Philadelphia home to bring together thought leaders and change agents. Each meeting explored current and relevant literature and oration as blueprints to achieving democracy. “We’ll use the elocution of these 19th century African American leaders as blueprints for civic dialogue about the current struggle to achieve “liberty and justice for all,” Sloan wrote in 2025.
May 12 – DR. JAMES TROTMAN, Facilitator and CHRIS BALLENTINE (pending availability), Respondent
Book: Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
Speech: Frederick Douglass, 1894 – Lessons of the Hour