Graterford Archive film screening and panel discussion

Monument Lab is curating Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments, an exhibition opening at The Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 25, 2026, to share stories the Rocky statue illuminates and obscures, highlighting Black boxers like Joe Frazier, Bernard Hopkins, and many others who inspired the infamous Rocky character. 

Mural Arts Philadelphia is contributing a recreated Bernard Hopkins mural to be featured in the "Philadelphia Power and Place" gallery of the exhibition. The mural was designed by Eric Okdeh, and painted by Mural Artists of SCI Phoenix (formerly Graterford).

In order to honor those who were a part of the Boxing program at PA State Prisons including Graterford, the Graterford Diaspora is collecting this history.

“The Sweet Science” film screening and panel discussion by the Graterford Archive

The Graterford Archive will be hosting an event to showcase the legacy of Graterford’s Boxing program at the PMA’s Perelman Building on May 20, 2026. Alumni of the Boxing program and acclaimed visual artist James “Yaya” Hough created a portrait series of Boxers from the program, many of whom were his personal mentors. 

From the 1970s to the late 1990s the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections under the direction of William Robinson created one of the Nation's first and longest lasting boxing programs in the US Pr*son system. Over the course of its two decades hundreds of fighters across the state of Pennsylvania took part in the program and traveled the state and the country fighting in matches and exhibitions where they fought other prisoners and professional opponents. The State Correctional Institution at Graterford was a node in the larger boxing program and notable fighters like Bernard Hopkins emerged from its program. The Graterford Archive seeks to tell the story of this program through its fighters, trainers, and those who took part in, contributed to and witnessed it. 

The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion on the PA boxing program with several men who participated in the program. 

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