Refining our mission, growing our website
Faruq Adger is currently one of twelve Penn Museum Interns selected for the 2023 summer cohort. He has been working with Heritage West through the Academic Engagement Department, focusing his attention on refining the project’s mission and building out our website.
From Faruq: Working on the website was a rewarding experience in many different ways. I felt accomplished that my research and writing skills were valued and that I was able to contribute a great deal to the development of the website. During my research, I learned multiple new aspects of history about the Great Migration and life for Black Philadelphians during the 20th century. The information that stuck with me the most was listening and reading accounts of individuals who talked about their experiences within Philadelphia. I am thankful for being a part of this project for multiple reasons; however, illuminating true history and bringing awareness to the Black Bottom community is a fulfilling experience. I plan to continue unearthing the true history and character of communities and individuals from the biases, bigotry, and shame that surrounds them. This project is the first step in the right direction for righting the wrongs done to the Black Bottom community, and I am grateful that I am able to walk this path.
About this post’s guest author:
Faruq Adger is a Philadelphia native who grew up in Germantown. He is studying Cultural and Linguistics Anthropology with a minor in Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. His overall goal is to apply his skills to inclusiveness within our society by disrupting embedded values of racism, sexism, homophobia, and colonization. Faruq wants to accomplish this goal by pursuing a career as a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Faruq began working with Heritage West through the Penn Museum Summer Internship program, conducting research and helping prepare the website text, including the first draft of the statement regarding the Black Bottom on our homepage.
About the Penn Museum’s Internship Program:
The Penn Museum offers nine-week fully paid summer internship opportunities for undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate students from any college or university. Internships include two parts: a project-based placement in a Museum department and the Museum Practice Program, which includes orientation, weekly lectures, collections tours, and field trips to local museums. The internship concludes with final presentations shared by the interns.