On January 28, 1787, the Free African Society was organized in Philadelphia by Richard Allen and Absalom Jones. It was one of the first Black mutual aid societies in the United States, created to provide assistance to newly freed African Americans and to foster community, education, and religious life independent of white-dominated institutions.

Richard Allen and Absalom Jones established the Free African Society in Philadelphia, one of the earliest Black mutual aid organizations in the United States. Created to provide spiritual support, financial aid, and community cohesion for free African Americans, it marked a pivotal moment in Black self-organization. W.E.B. Du Bois later called it “the first wavering step of a people toward a more organized social life,” recognizing its lasting impact on Black institution-building and civil society.