Students in the Echoes of Black Culture and Black Literature courses attended a matinee performance of FIRE! at Quintessence Theatre in Mount Airy. The original play reimagines the 1926 Harlem Renaissance literary journal Fire!!, created by young Black artists determined to break from convention and express the full range of their creative voices. Brendon, Director of the Upper School; Kyle, an English teacher new to AFS this year; and Mikael, Director of Equity, Justice, and Engagement, chaperoned the trip, supporting students as they engaged deeply with the performance. During the post-show talkback, AFS students joined peers from other schools to reflect with the cast and creative team on the enduring power of youth, art, and resistance.

Last Friday, another group of Upper School students represented Abington Friends School at the Philly Friends Youth Retreat held at Arch Street Meeting House. The retreat gathered Quaker students from across the region for workshops and worship centered on leadership, justice, and community care. Keynote speakers George and Ingrid Lakey shared stories from their decades of activism in racial, environmental, and LGBTQ justice movements. You can watch the trailer for Citizen George, a recent documentary chronicling George’s remarkable life and witness. Throughout the day students connected deeply with their peers from Friends Select School, George School, Moorestown Friends School, Penn Charter and more. 

Both experiences exemplify how AFS students are engaging with the world through art, reflection, and community, living out our shared commitment to “learning in the Light.”