Bringing Philadelphia’s history to life

Stephen Pierce, '19, M.A. '20, and Mijuel K. Johnson, '22, graduates of La Salle University's History Program, lead historical tours in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas, bringing history to life for visitors and locals alike.

Fpr Mijuel K. Johnson, '22, (left) and Stephen Pierce, '19, M.A. '20, (right), leading tours is a way to bring history to life and connect their guests with the story of the city.

While cities across the U.S. are getting ready to celebrate the country's seminquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, two graduates of La Salle University's History Program are already doing just that right where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Stephen Pierce, '19, M.A. '20, and Mijuel K. Johnson, '22, have spent the last few years working as tour guides in and around Philadelphia, sharing the stories and history of the city and the surrounding areas with locals and visitors.

While Pierce and Johnson took different paths to 20^th and Olney-Pierce toured the campus and fell in love, spending all of his years in the five-year history program as an Explorer, compared with Johnson, who graduated and transferred with Honor from the Community College of Philadelphia-they both share the same love for the History Program.

"The History Program was amazing," Johnson, who was a history major and political science minor, said, crediting the faculty that he got to learn from as playing a big part in that.

Pierce, who was also a history and political science double major, agreed. The program's faculty had a wide array of national and international specialties and were a significant factor in his decision to come to La Salle. While he earned both his undergraduate and graduate history degrees at the University, the master's portion of the program has now been discontinued.

"It was the perfect match," he said. "I wouldn't have wanted to go anywhere else."

For both Pierce and Johnson, studying history was an easy choice.

Pierce became fascinated with the subject as a child, and that interest has stayed with him until today.

"I just fell in love with it," he said. "There was no other option for me."

Johnson values the way that it informs the world today.

"It's the story of us, how we came to be," he said. "Everything that is today is the result of what was yesterday, and everything that will be tomorrow comes from what is today."

He also noted that the history of a place continues to evolve and influence current times.

"You live history every day," Johnson said. "Understanding what happened before us allows us to better understand what's happening now, what can be changed, and how to do so in the right way."

With such a passion for history, it's unsurprising that Johnson and Pierce both found their way to giving tours in Philadelphia.

Johnson, as well as working as a community organizer and political activist, works as a tour guide for The Black Journey, an organization that focuses on the history of Black Philadelphia. Johnson leads tours that are mainly based in the Old City and Society Hill neighborhoods.

Pierce started his tour guide career at Fort Mifflin, doing historical interpretations and tours. He then moved to Harriton House, where he still leads tours. In 2025, wanting to get more involved with the upcoming America250 celebrations, Pierce joined the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides. Through that group, he started giving his own independent tours, focused on Old City and its history, particularly 18th-century America, which was also his master's specialty.

For both Explorers, leading these tours is a way to bring history to life and connect their guests with the story of the city.

"When you can make history come alive to people, it makes more of a connection," Pierce said.

Walking around and seeing the places that textbooks talk about makes that connection more deeply than sitting in a classroom can, they both believe.

"You can bring it alive to people, especially in a city like Philadelphia," Johnson said. "The USA's first and only world heritage city, a city where we are so rich not only in things that have happened here, but also have a lot of those places still exist."

He added that over 70% of the city was built before World War II, and there are homes that people live in today that were stops on the Underground Railroad.

"Every step you take, there's some kind of history there," Johnson said.

Sharing these facts and stories with people are highlights for both of them. Johnson and
Pierce have met people from all over the world and showed them around parts of the city, and learning about them and their interests is one of the best parts of their jobs.

"There's multiple favorite things. But I think the two biggest things are seeing people's eyes light up when they didn't know a fact," Pierce noted. "The other thing really is to hear different people's experiences, I am just a sponge to hearing other people's backgrounds, how they grew up, why they came on my tour. It's just an honor that people chose me, I really do think it's an honor."

Just like Johnson and Pierce agreed about the quality of the history education they received at La Salle, they also agree that they're in the best city in the United States to give the tours they love so much.

"Philadelphia tops the charts in being the best city in the U.S. to give these tours in," Johnson said, adding that Washington, D.C., Boston, New York City, and New Orleans, all get honorable mentions.

Pierce agreed, pointing out alongside the rich historical landscape; the city's infrastructure is a plus. The grid systems, the walkability, and the public transit options are just some of the things that help him when he's showing people the sights.

"Even though I'm biased, I do think it's great," he said. "There are all these different people who care about different issues. Every person I've ever talked to on a tour wants to learn more about a new aspect of Philadelphia history and culture. People really want to learn more all the time, which is a really special thing."

-Naomi Thomas