Inside the historic 1877 African Methodist Episcopal Church in Yardley — Gather Place — history is not simply told, it is brought to life.
On Saturday, March 21, Gather Place “The Bucks County Community Space” will present “Ida B. Wells — Voice of Truth, Force for Justice,” a powerful dramatic portrayal performed by acclaimed Philadelphia actress Karen Vicks. The program is part of the museum’s “Remember the Ladies!” Women’s History Month Community Event Series, organized by Shirley Lee Corsey, founder and executive director of Gather Place.
Through this engaging performance, audiences will experience the courageous life of Ida B. Wells-Barnett — educator, investigative journalist, suffragist, and one of the most fearless voices against racial injustice in American history.
Vicks, a member of the Screen Actors Guild, AFTRA, and Actors’ Equity, has performed extensively on stage and television, including appearances in “The Wire,” “Veep,” “Broad City,” and CBS’s “Elsbeth.”
Gather Place programs have grown rapidly in popularity.
Now recognized as an America250PA Officially Recognized Program, Gather Place’s Saturday events regularly fill to capacity week after week, drawing audiences from across Bucks County and beyond.
Corsey’s programs are also expanding throughout the region.
Recently, Gather Place joined the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Luminary Luncheon, presenting “HER Story,” a Women’s History Month program developed in conjunction with the Doylestown Historical Society, highlighting influential women who shaped Bucks County.
Corsey was also recently invited to present at the Pennsylvania State Capitol by the PA Governor’s Advisory Commission on African American Affairs. Gather Place is also the first organization from Bucks County invited to present a Black History program for Pennsylvania state employees, both in person and streamed statewide.
From the Capitol podium, Gather Place shared the story of Rev. Richard Allen and the founding of the AME Church, connecting it to Yardley’s historic 1817 “Free Peoples Church” and the 1877 AME Church building, believed to have ties to the Underground Railroad.
Through Gather Place’s America250PA programming — including first-person portrayals of Frederick Douglass and Lucretia Mott — Gather Place continues to highlight Bucks County’s role in the broader American story of abolition, reform, and women’s rights.
The Gather Place Ida B. Wells program on Saturday, March 21 begins with desserts and beverages at 1:00 p.m., followed by the performance at 2:00 p.m., and concludes with a community engagement Q&A session.
The location is at Gather Place, 188 S. Canal Street, Yardley, PA 19067. There will also be limited seating.
To RSVP for “Ida B. Wells — Voice of Truth, Force for Justice,” visit https://pay.gatherplace.org/ebbf0f21-18b2-422f-b2ef-b21.
