Black Philadelphians whose remains were unethically collected honored in historic service at Penn Museum

PHILADELPHIA - A historic service was held at Penn Museum and Historic Eden Cemetery to honor the Black Philadelphians of the Samuel G. Morton Cranial Collection on Saturday.

Their remains were unethically collected by Morton, a Philadelphia-based physician, during the 19th century and then studied to support white supremacist views.

Originally housed in the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, the collection, which included the remains of individuals from all over the world, was relocated to Penn Museum in 1966.

In recent years, the university has worked to confront these racist and historic wrongs. The services marked a symbolic effort to return the men and women to the Black community and respectfully lay them to rest two centuries later.

The interfaith commemoration service was led by spiritual leaders who reflected on the lives of the 19 Black Philadelphians whose names we do not know. It was followed by a blessing at Historic Eden Cemetery, where their remains were respectfully laid to rest on January 22.

"We are here in order to acknowledge and to make right a wrong as best we can because we believe that historic and systemic wrongs and unethical practices based on prejudice and injustice can and should be acknowledged and confronted," said Rev. Dr. J. Wendell Mapson Jr., Senior Pastor at Monumental Baptist Church.

Dozens of people attended the service and told FOX 29 it was their duty to pay their respects.

"They belong to me, I belong to them," said Sharon Durham. "I have followed the journey of these skulls for some time and I came to honor them on behalf of my life and the life of my own family."

"I thought it was beautiful," said Anna Gavin. "If they were my family members, I would want them to have flowers at their interment. People who have been forgotten about in general and in history, and now they should be honored and remembered."

While many in attendance believed the services were sensitive and appropriate, Alex Wilson of Black Philadelphians Descendant Community Group believes Penn isn’t doing enough.

"We think greater initiatives can be taken to access who these people actually are, get in touch with their relatives and do right by them," said Wilson.

Penn said a long list of individuals, including museum and university leadership, staff, anthropologists and students worked together these last few years to make this day possible.

"We have so many who did not get during their lifetime the dignity that they deserved, and Eden is committed to see that they get that in death," said Wilhelmina Cockroft, General Manager & Trustee for Historic Eden Cemetery.