Black History

Saying goodbye to a local legend

THE PHILADELPHIA TRIBUNE — The Belmont Mansion Museum, a historic stop on the Underground Railroad, was transformed into an appropriate homage on Friday to the person responsible for its existence. The body of Audrey Patrick Johnson-Thornton lay in state Friday afternoon inside the museum atop the Belmont Plateau as a steady stream of visitors paid their final respects to the former director who saved the site from demolition more than 30 years ago.

Published

6 years ago

April 22, 2019

ALONZO KITTRELS

By John N. Mitchell

The Belmont Mansion Museum, a historic stop on the Underground Railroad, was transformed into an appropriate homage on Friday to the person responsible for its existence.

The body of Audrey Patrick Johnson-Thornton lay in state Friday afternoon inside the museum atop the Belmont Plateau as a steady stream of visitors paid their final respects to the former director who saved the site from demolition more than 30 years ago.

“She was a pioneer and a visionary that wanted to make sure that there was a physical representation of our history here, and she single-handedly in many ways made sure that Belmont Mansion was revitalized, institutionalized and set for a future,” said Sandra Dungee Glenn, who thought of Johnson-Thornton as a mentor. “I’m glad I had a chance to see her here at the mansion a couple of weeks before her transition.”

A colonial-era home of an abolitionist family (Peters), the site first went through extensive renovations that began in 1986. When it was discovered that the location was a stop on the Underground Railroad, part of it was converted into a museum. And more recently, a state-of-the art meeting facility was added that hosts gatherings from weddings to sorority and fraternity meetings and other events.

The mansion was transformed into a museum honoring her many accomplishments, which included establishing the American Women’s Heritage Society, serving on Lincoln University’s board of trustees, serving on the Mayor’s Commission for Women, and working with the Urban League of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia orchestra’s cultural diversity initiative.

As the American flag flew at half-staff under cloudy skies, those entering the museum were greeted by students in green blazers from the Global Leadership Academy where Johnson-Thornton’s daughter, Naomi Johnson-Booker, is the CEO.

Beyond the students, in a warmly lit foyer, a number of covered tables supported dozens of awards and honors that Johnson-Thornton had accumulated over a lifetime, including the Martin Luther King Drum Major Award from the city of Philadelphia. Purple and lavender flower bouquets were placed throughout the mansion. Johnson-Thornton was a one time fashion model known for her stylish hats, and many of the women paying their respects did so wearing purple hats.

“This is a wonderful way to honor a person who was a warrior for the city and the history and legacy of the Underground Railroad,” said longtime friend Kim Fuller. “She was a jewel. The Belmont Mansion is the crown jewel of Philadelphia and we would not have the Belmont Mansion or the American Women’s Heritage Society without her.”

This article originally appeared in The Philadelphia Tribune.

ALONZO KITTRELS

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Oakland Post: Week of May 14 – 20, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 14 – 20, 2025

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10 hours ago

May 16, 2025

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The Best Advice for Raising Children: Discipline That Makes Sense

In his book Developing Positive Self Images and Discipline in Black Children, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu suggests that primary aims for socializing Black children should be: establishing goals related to God and the church; familiarizing children with religious texts like the Bible or Quran; educating them of Black culture like Khemetic (Egyptian) Civilization; enlightening them about Black leaders like Malcolm X and Sojourner Truth; and teaching them to strive to be employers, not employees.

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2025

Oakland Post

Headshot of Dr. William A. Thomas. Photo courtesy of Dr. William A. Thomas.

By William A. Thomas, Ph.D.

In many African societies, the primary aim of socialization is to raise children to be socially responsible and eventually provide economic support to their parents and extended families. Ghanaian philosopher Kwame Gyekye taught that children are raised to be respectful of the wishes of their parents and extended adult family members.

In his book Developing Positive Self Images and Discipline in Black Children, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu suggests that primary aims for socializing Black children should be: establishing goals related to God and the church; familiarizing children with religious texts like the Bible or Quran; educating them of Black culture like Khemetic (Egyptian) Civilization; enlightening them about Black leaders like Malcolm X and Sojourner Truth; and teaching them to strive to be employers, not employees.

Effective disciplinary strategies appropriate to a child’s age and development teach them to regulate their behavior; keep them from harm; enhance their cognitive, social, and emotional executive functioning skills; and reinforce the behavioral patterns taught by their parents and caregivers.

Below are some specific guidelines for disciplining children.

Listen to what children are talking about with interest and show them you understand their feelings. Remember, children mirror and learn about their emotional selves by hearing their feelings reflected back to them. Staying on target also means avoiding labels. When children fail to do what is expected, discussing it is helpful rather than saying how stubborn, lazy, dumb, or bad they are. By the same token, more positive labels can be helpful.

Dependability is another essential component of the discipline process. When parents are dependable, their children learn what to expect and are helped to feel secure. When parents are consistent, children learn to trust, that is, predict their parents’ behaviors with certainty. A child thinks, “When I spill something, I will always be asked to wipe it up.” A child thinks, “If I use foul language, I will always be corrected.” A child thinks, “If I take something that doesn’t belong to me, I will always have to give it back.” The ability to predict with certainty leads children to rely on their parents and the village/community in which they live. Children feel safe when they know what to expect.

Conclusions

It takes a village/community to raise the divine gift that is the Black child. Parents look to therapists for guidance concerning a variety of parenting issues, including discipline. Keep in mind that evidence suggests that corporal punishment is both ineffective in the long term and associated with cognitive and mental health disorders. When parents want guidance about the use of spanking, a child therapist can explore parental feelings, help them better define the goals of discipline, and offer specific behavior management strategies. In addition to providing appropriate education to families, the Bay Area Association of Black Psychologists (Bay ABPsi) can refer them to community resources, like parenting groups and classes.

About the Author

Dr. Thomas is a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice in the SF/Oakland Bay Area and Beaumont. He is a member of Bay ABPsi, a healing resource committed to providing the Post Newspaper readership with monthly discussions about critical issues in Black Mental Health. Readers are welcome to join us at our monthly chapter meetings every 3^rd Saturday via Zoom and contact us at bayareaabpsi@gmail.com.