The Octavius Catto Statue in Philadelphia

A two-minute walk away from Philadelphia’s City Hall stands a 12-foot bronze statue of a man dressed in Civil War-era clothing, his chest thrust forward while his arms open wide to his sides, palms facing onlookers. The outward motion of his torso feels almost defiant, a posture declaring an embracement of freedom while challenging anyone who dares oppose it. But the open palms are supplicative: this man’s provocative stance is not to push others away, but to expand space for others to enter. The statue’s emotional tension captures well the narrative of the man it represents: Catto, a Civil War-era activist whose acts of bravery broke ground for African Americans decades before the contributions of America’s most well-known activists. The memorial is Philadelphia’s first memorial dedicated to an African American—a fitting first for a man that trailblazed numerous firsts within his lifetime. Catto: An Almost Forgotten Hero’s Upbringing Octavius Catto was born on February 22nd, 1839, in Charleston, North Carolina. He was the son of two free African Americans: his mother descended from a prominent mulatto family in the community, and his father gained his freedom from slavery, going on to become a Presbyterian minister once the family moved to the free state of Philadelphia in 1850. As a free African American living in the North, Catto had a relatively rare opportunity to receive an education. He spent his teenage and young adult years as an avid scholar and attended multiple schools in order to advance his education. One of these schools was in Allentown Academy in New Jersey: an all-white institution where Catto was undoubtedly one of the only black students. However, as his future actions would prove, Catto was not afraid of standing out or pursuing excellence in the face of adversity. He went on to graduate the valedictorian of the Institute for Colored Youth, where he gave a politically bent commencement speech that offered commentary on the white instructors at the institutions and the Civil War. Catto’s public speaking capabilities would continue to serve him throughout his lifetime; in the short term, he used them in his work as an instructor at the ICY in literature, Mathematics, Greek, and Latin. Whether as an intuitive or conscious choice, Catto seemed to operate with an understanding of the need to seize life’s opportunities. Despite the prestige and achievement associated with his academic career, Catto continued to funnel his energy into other pursuits. By his 20s, he’d founded a literacy institute, became a member of The Franklin Institute (another all-white organization that waived their rules for Catto), and had founded an African American baseball club upon which he also played. At an early age, Catto had achieved remarkable success, while also continuing to strive forward. Catto’s Contributions to Activism It wasn’t long before Catto’s intellectual prowess and outspoken spirit found an outlet in activism. When the Confederate Army invaded Pennsylvania in 1863, Catto worked with Frederick Douglass to rally soldiers for all-black regiments. He placed posters throughout black neighborhoods in Philadelphia that read: “Men of color, to arms to arms, now or never.” Catto’s grassroots efforts helped raise eleven regiments for the war. These troops were trained at Fort Penn, about ten miles outside the city, before heading out to the war front. During this time, the same African Americans who fought for the city’s freedom found themselves alienated from its support. Philadelphia’s public transit system at the time was segregated horse-drawn carriages. If African Americans wanted to visit Fort Penn, they either had to wait an unspecified amount of time for a segregated carriage or hire a private carriage at a hefty cost. This system resulted in wounded soldiers being unable to connect with their families due to transportation complications. People wrote letters and gathered to try to address the issue, but their efforts wouldn’t catalyze the city to make changes. It’s at this moment that Catto’s pioneering spirit changed history. On May 17, 1865, at around 2 PM, Catto entered an all-white carriage and refused to leave. The conductor responded by running the car off course, detaching the horses, and leaving Catto to sit in the car alone. Unswayed, Catto continued to sit throughout the night. His silent protest gathered crowds and marked the start of a remarkable Civil Rights revolution. Catto organized pregnant women and college students to enter carriages and sit in the same manner he did. These carriage sit-ins were not only remarkably brave. They were an unprecedented and brilliant stroke of activism that eventually proved itself effective. After numerous carriage sit-ins and protests, the city of Philadelphia passed a bill that desegregated the trolley system. African Americans could visit their family and friends who fought on the front lines, while also receiving the message on a broader level that their actions counted and that Civil Rights progress was possible: a message that undoubtedly provided hope to those fighting towards the abolishment of slavery. Catto’s Early Death and Martyrdom Even after the trolley segregation, Catto continued to push for Civil Rights of African Americans, fighting for their right to vote and maintaining vocal vigilance on the ratification of post-war amendments. His activism gained considerable public attention from both supporters and those who opposed his messages. On Election Day of October 10 in 1871, an unarmed Catto was confronted in the street and shot down by a white Democrat named Frank Kelly. Kelly escaped after the shooting and was later acquitted despite several eye-witness testimonies who saw the encounter. Catto’s story remained untold among most history books, although his legacy in the African American community lived on through scholarship and institutions such as the O.V. Catto Elks Lodge. The Philadelphia memorial stands as a way of resurrecting Catto’s legacy, bringing it more centrally into the public sphere so that others may learn about his story and contributions decades before the 20th century’s Civil Rights movement.