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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 27 september 2017
Philadelphia honors black activist with City Hall statue

civic engagement.
Philadelphia is in the midst
of its own debate over
a statue of controversial
iconic former Mayor Frank
Rizzo. Catto’s statue stands
near a sculpture of Rizzo,
whose complicated racial
legacy has led some to ar-
gue that his likeness should
be removed from city
property. After racial vio-
lence erupted last month
in Charlottesville, Virginia,
where protesters gathered
to oppose the removal of
a statue of Confederate
General Robert E. Lee, de-
bate over Rizzo’s fate resur-
faced.
Catto’s work advocating
for voting rights would ulti-
mately bring about his un-
People congregate around a statue of Octavius Valentine Catto at an unveiling ceremony at City timely death. He worked
Hall in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. Nearly 150 years after he was killed on the streets of to get Pennsylvania to
his adopted hometown, Catto was honored by a crowd of hundreds gathered in Philadelphia on ratify the 15th Amendment
Tuesday for the unveiling of the statue in his honor. guaranteeing the right to
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke) vote for black men. q
By ERRIN WHACK whose legacy should be
Associated Press taught to all Americans.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Near- “My hope is that someday,
ly 150 years after he was every child in Philadelphia
killed on the streets of his will know as much about
adopted hometown, Oc- Octavius Valentine Catto
tavius Valentine Catto was as they do about Benja-
honored by a crowd of min Franklin, George Wash-
hundreds gathered in Phil- ington and Martin Luther
adelphia on Tuesday for King,” Kenney said.
the unveiling of a statue in Born in 1839, Catto led a
his honor. civil rights movement in
The honor is the first such Philadelphia a century be-
named tribute for an Afri- fore the nation’s fight to
can-American on public end segregation. The 19th-
land in Philadelphia and century educator and or-
comes amid a national ganizer fought for better
conversation about how education for black stu-
and where America choos- dents, led efforts to deseg-
es to celebrate its heroes. regate the city’s street cars
The crowd cheered as a and pushed for equal vot-
statue of Catto — which ing rights — all before he
seemed to stride boldly was killed at age 32.
in the direction of Broad His contributions to Ameri-
Street in the shadow of City can democracy rival some
Hall — was revealed. of the country’s most cel-
V. Chapman Smith, vice ebrated patriots, yet his
president of the O.V. Catto story has remained largely
Memorial Fund, encour- unknown.
aged those gathered to “We know more about
pursue Catto’s vision and Rocky — who’s not even
continue to advance the a real person — than we
ideals he stood for. know about Octavius,
“He was one of our nation’s which says a lot,” Kenney
most important citizens said in an interview.
who worked for the good Sculptor Branly Cadet said
of America,” Smith said. his aim with the monu-
Mayor Jim Kenney, who first ment, which also includes
learned of Catto as a city five pillars marking Catto’s
councilman and led a 15- contributions as an educa-
year crusade to memorial- tor, athlete and National
ize the activist, called him Guard major — was to
“a true American hero” highlight the values Catto
who should be revered embodied, including re-
by all Philadelphians and spect, fairness, uplift and