LANCASTER, PA – LancasterHistory kicks off its Regional History Colloquium Series this fall with an in-depth look at the life and legacy of 19th-century America's richest Black man, Stephen Smith. Join us on Thursday, September 10, with historian Michael Clemmons for his lecture, Entrepreneur, Reverend, Abolitionist: Stephen Smith’s Journey From Columbia to Philadelphia. Clemmons will discuss Stephen Smith, who was a 19th-century Black man raised in indentured servitude in Columbia, PA. Smith went on to become a leader in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, an advocate for freedom, and America's richest Black man.
Michael Clemmons is a Philadelphia-based public historian, researcher, and docent at the Richard Allen Museum. He has collaborated with the Free Library, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Athenaeum, and the African American Museum of Philadelphia. Clemmons is a member and former Vice President of the Mother Bethel AME Church Historical Society and a founding member of the Black Docents Collective. Together with Dr. Donna Rilling, he co-authored the successful nomination of the historic homes of Stephen Smith and William Whipper for inclusion on the Philadelphia Historical Commission Register of Historic Places. As an independent researcher, he continues to explore and document their legacies. His perspectives have been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer Op-Ed page and on the 1838 Black Metropolis© website. Clemmons is a retired aerospace engineering manager and transit rail safety consultant. He holds a B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Registration & Additional Information
This event is expected to take place in person at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Doors open and the reception begins at 5pm. The lecture will begin at 5:30pm. The lecture will also be streamed to Zoom at 5:30pm for those who wish to join us virtually. This program is free and open to the public. In-person attendance requires advance registration in order to guarantee a seat. Due to capacity restrictions, tickets may not be available at the door. Virtual attendance requires advance registration in order to receive the Zoom link. Register online by clicking the appropriate link below or by calling 717.392.4633. The online version of this program will also be recorded and uploaded to LancasterHistory’s YouTube channel after the event.
About LancasterHistory
LancasterHistory is a community-based, not-for-profit organization established to educate the public on the history of Lancaster County and its place in the history of Pennsylvania and the United States, to advance the missions of regional historical organizations, and to promote the acquisition, preservation, and interpretation of resources representing the history of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania within the broader context of state and national history, including the homes of 15th US President James Buchanan and Congressman Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith.
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