Trust for Public Land Launches 2026 “On the Ground” Event Series with Program Honoring New Philadelphia’s Freedom Legacy
CHICAGO — Trust for Public Land (TPL), in partnership with the New Philadelphia Association, kicked off its 2026 On the Ground event series with a powerful program titled Land Holds the Truth: Free Frank McWorter and the Freedom Story of New Philadelphia, Illinois.
This special event spotlighted the extraordinary legacy of New Philadelphia, Illinois, and the enduring importance of preserving places that tell the story of Black resilience, leadership, and freedom.
Dr. Abdul Alkalimat, also known as Gerald McWorter and the great-great-grandson of Free Frank McWorter, shared the remarkable history of New Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, New Philadelphia is the first known town in the United States planned and legally registered by an African American. Its founder, Frank McWorter, was born into slavery and through his initiative and determination, purchased the freedom of 16 family members, including himself. The town he established in Western Illinois grew into an intigrated community and became a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Today, the site is recognized as a National Historic Site and a unit of the National Park Service, preserving this powerful story of freedom, resilience, self-determination, and community-building.
Dr. Alkalimat was joined in conversation by Dr. Jocelyn Imani, Trust for Public Land’s Director of Black History and Culture, and local historian Sherman “Dilla” Thomas. The discussion was moderated by Anton Seals Jr., a member of Trust for Public Land’s National Board of Directors. The panel explored the broader importance of protecting landscapes that embody Black history.
The event is part of TPL’s Illinois Black History and Culture Program, which is dedicated to creating and protecting public lands that honor and strengthen Black history and culture across the state. Through this work, TPL preserves and activates outdoor places that reflect the legacy, resilience, and achievements of Black communities, ensuring these stories remain visible in the landscapes where people gather, learn, and connect.
“Our public lands, parks, trails, and schoolyards should reflect the full breadth of our nation’s stories and the people who shaped them,” said Caroline O’Boyle, associate vice president and Illinois State Director for Trust for Public Land. “These places are living reminders of where history unfolded, and by expanding access to and protecting culturally significant sites, we help ensure that history of all Americans is preserved, celebrated, and shared for generations to come.”
“New Philadelphia represents the often untold story of the agency of African Americans in this freedom struggle,” Alkalimat said. “And so not only buying family members, not only setting up the town, not only begin an agency of the Underground Railroad and sending grandsons to fight in the Civil War but living free and owning land and having guns and that people came to buy lots knowing this is what was going on.”
Only 3 percent of sites on the National Register of Historic Places reflect the experiences of Black Americans, and TPL’s work prioritizes the protection and creation of outdoor spaces that commemorate Black history and culture. Projects such as the Great Migration Greenway in Chicago, WACA Bell Park, and the Hazel Johnson Memorial Greenway uplift stories of community leadership and environmental justice while providing welcoming green spaces for recreation, gathering, and reflection.
The On the Ground series offers attendees a unique opportunity to engage directly with this history, hear from leading voices, and learn how public land can serve as a platform for storytelling, healing, and connection. The next On the Ground series event is anticipated to occur this fall with a dialogue surrounding public land and the housing crisis.
To learn more about Trust for Public Land’s Illinois Black History and Culture Program, visit: https://www.tpl.org/our-work/illinois-black-history-and-culture-program
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit www.tpl.org
About New Philadelphia
The New Philadelphia Association, a not-for-profit organization formed by area residents, seeks to appropriately preserve a substantial portion of the town site in honor of a remarkable man and family of the antebellum Western Illinois frontier and continue to learn and spread the word about this unique place and its context. Every year New Philadelphia hosts the Likes Lectures and all year long they maintain the site, do history work, and talk with visitors and others. For information about becoming a member or to give, visit http://newphiladelphiail.org/.
