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Register of Wills plans 'Legacy and Wealth' 250th exhibit and outreach to show inheritance’s role in Philadelphia history
Summary
The Register of Wills office described a 'Legacy and Wealth: How Inheritance Shaped America' initiative tied to Philadelphia’s 250th anniversary, proposing a City Hall exhibit, statewide tour, workshops and partnerships with cultural organizations and media outlets to highlight who benefited from generational wealth and who was excluded.
The Register of Wills’ office presented an initiative titled “Legacy and Wealth: How Inheritance Shaped America” as part of Philadelphia’s 250th-anniversary programming, and asked council members to help build partnerships and outreach for exhibitions, workshops and a statewide tour.
Joe Driscoll, who the register identified as the primary author of the plans, told council members: “Legacy and wealth, how inheritance shaped America, is about how inheritance shaped America, but it's equally is about, who gets left out of that promise.” Driscoll said the program will include a City Hall exhibit, a statewide tour, public workshops, legal-literacy campaigns and community storytelling.
Council members broadly welcomed the proposal and suggested the program address difficult historical topics, including redlining, the legacy of slavery and related federal-policy questions such as the historical discussion around “40 acres and a mule.” Several members recommended that outreach include culturally specific media — for example, the Philadelphia Tribune, the Philadelphia Sunday Sun, WHYY and new outlets such as the Black Information Network — to reach neighborhoods most affected by generational-wealth disparities.
The register’s staff said they have begun outreach to Visit Philadelphia and others. John P. Sabatina said the office has met with Visit Philadelphia and is exploring inclusion of documents and exhibits as part of a larger city celebration. The office also asked for help identifying funders and coalition partners to scale the initiative.
Ending: Council members offered support and said they would help connect the office with potential partners and funding sources for the 2026 programming.
