The removing of the statue of George Whitfield from the University of Pennsylvania campus is disturbing to those of us unaware of Whitfield’s “advocating for slavery.” The mention in this Press Release reads:

“Whitefield’s connection to Penn stems from a church meeting house he owned at 4th and Arch streets in Philadelphia, which was purchased by Benjamin Franklin to house the Academy of Philadelphia, a predecessor to the University of Pennsylvania.”

Franklin discussed this building in the Autobiography: that it was constructed through a campaign he spearheaded.