The Black community in Philadelphia was highly skilled at community building and organizing.  Most adults belonged to at least one organization and many belonged to several.  This helped to develop a network between organizations and people. On this page we've developed visualizations that help you see the networks and the relationships between people. 

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These networks helped to build stability which led to zones of sanctuary where freedom seekers could find the assistance they needed to build new lives.  The ability to organize was supported by job earnings, education and wealth and so we also provide economic statistics for a deeper understanding of the population. 

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The networks also helped to circulate ideas, wealth and intellectualism within the community such that organizations turned into institutions that had impact at a national level.