It's the summer of 1948, and dynamic civil rights activist Bayard Rustin has a very important speech to prepare for at Arch Street Meeting House. But outspoken 18th-century educator, activist, and artist Sarah Mapps Douglass doesn’t know who this young interloper is.

A Quiet Roar is a theater performance that bridges the lives of Rustin and Mapps Douglass, two phenomenal Black Philadelphian Quakers who walked the halls of Arch Street Meeting House a century apart. Their writings and experiences come to life by highlighting the complex, often overlooked intersections of race, faith, and freedom in the United States. Written & Directed by Yvie Jones

Run Time: 30 minutes

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) at ASMH practices unprogrammed, silent worship. Following the performance, the audience will be invited to engage in a 30-second moment of silent reflection and a Q&A.

Cast: Leslie Hartshell (Sarah Mapps Douglass) & Najee Duwon (Bayard Rustin)

The program will run on Saturday mornings from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM and afternoons from 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM, on Memorial Day, May 25, 2026, through Labor Day, September 7, 2026.

Lead support for this program was provided by the William Penn Foundation.

The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. We do this through funding programs in the Philadelphia region in arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services. Learn more at www.williampennfoundation.org.