Whipper believed in nonviolence and rational persuasion as a way to achieve social reform. He was a prominent member of Philadelphia's African American community. In 1835, he became one of founding fathers of the Antislavery American Moral Reform Society. Whipper's ideology regarding antislavery was very different than most people. He believed that prejudice against blacks came from the condition in which black people were in, not due to the color of their skin. A very successful businessman with his partner Stephen Smith, Whipper focused his efforts in helping black people to improve their status in society through education and...

See Robert Purvis

Before the term "power couple" came into use in the 20th Century, Robert’s and his wife’s, Harriet Forten Purvis, joint and separate activist efforts are examples in the 19th century. Daughter of James Forten, Harriet was an African American abolitionist and first-generation suffragette. With Lucretia Mott, she formed the first biracial female abolition society, the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society. The Purvis' efforts were funded using the fortune Robert inherited from his father. Robert was president of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and was an officer in the American Anti-Slavery Society. At the annual meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Robert...