Community Corner
Octavius Catto First African American To Get Statue On City Property
Catto was a civil rights activist who lost his life fighting to protect African American voters here in Philadelphia in 1867.
PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia official debuted its first statue of an African American to be featured on public grounds Tuesday, Sept. 26. The statue honors Philadelphia civil rights and voting activist Octavius Catto, who was killed on election day in Philadelphia.
The statue was unveiled at 11 a.m. at City Hall.
Titled "A Quest For Parity," Catto's statue now sits on the southwest apron of City Hall.
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Catto, born in South Carolina, was a prominent African American intellectual, scholar, teacher, athlete, Civil War veteran and civil rights leader in Philadelphia who was killed on Election Day in 1871.
The sculpture is the first statue in the City's collection dedicated to a sole African American.
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You can watch Tuesday's dedication ceremony below:
Not only is Catto memorialized with the new sculpture, the Octavius V. Catto Memorial Fund was established to educate the public about Catto's life and accomplishments, as well as highlight the contributions of other African-Americans throughout Philadelphia’s history by creating educational programs aiming at broadening the public’s understanding and awareness of African-American History, according to the city.
You can learn more about the fund online here.
Born in 1839, Octavius Valentine Catto was a major in the Union Army during the Civil War, as well as a scholar, educator, athlete, and member of the Union League, The Library Company of Philadelphia and The Franklin Institute.
He was a prominent civil rights leader who fought for the right to vote for all men regardless of ethnicity and successfully led efforts to integrate street cars in Philadelphia in 1867.
He was gunned down on Election Day, Oct. 10, 1871, at just 32 years old while on his way to the polls to serve in his official capacity as a National Guardsman assigned to protect newly registered African American voters.
The Philadelphia Free Library published a short video about Catto's life and legacy and how it is documented around the city.
Watch it below:
Image via Rep. Dwight Evans
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