“Welcome to the original White House!” my tour guide Mijuel K Johnson enthuses, his arms outstretched like a conductor frozen in motion. We’re standing on historic ground, in the heart of Philadelphia’s leafy Independence National Historical Park. Looming beyond Mijuel’s shoulder is the terracotta facade of Independence Hall, known as the birthplace of the USA due to the Declaration of Independence having been signed here in 1776. Nearby, a queue of tourists are waiting to pay their respects at the small but mighty Liberty Bell, a longstanding symbol of USA freedom, first rung when the declaration was initially read to the public.
Yet Mijuel, a young historian who leads The Black Journey walking tour, is quick to add that there are elements of the city’s past still being uncovered. “We’re standing on the site of the President’s House, which served as the original
