A formerly enslaved baker from New Jersey was on the front lines feeding the Continental Army in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, as it fended off disease and starvation during the winter of 1777-1778. After the war, Cyrus Bustill, of Burlington, moved to Philadelphia and helped build a thriving Black community. Bustill joined Absalom Jones and Richard Allen as founding members of the Free African Society, a benevolent organization that provided religious services and mutual aid to Philadelphia’s Black residents. He also opened a school for Black children at Third and Arch streets, where a historic marker in his name now stands. ✏️: Peter Crimmins 📸: Emma Lee #whyynews #philadelphia250