Who is Octavius Catto? You might not know, because he’s been left out of mainstream history books. Assassinated at 32 in 1871, Catto was a civil rights activist who fought to desegregate Philadelphia’s trolley system and ratify the 15th Amendment in Pennsylvania. The educator and baseball player also worked to bring newly enfranchised black voters to the polls in opposition to the political establishment. He has been remembered within Philadelphia’s black community as the namesake for the Octavius V. Catto Lodge of the Black Elks, but has remained largely absent from historical conversations about the city. “Catto’s story was absent from Philadelphia schools. He was not mentioned in textbooks. Catto was an invisible man,” says Stephan Salisbury of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In 2010, Temple University Press published Tasting Freedom: Octavius Catto and the Battle for Equality in Civil War America. In 2014, Catto was celebrated in the seven-month-long Philadelphia Freedom Festival, bringing his story to light through song, dance, spoken word, and a Philadelphia Orchestra performance complete with an Octavius Catto reenactor. Now in 2017, his likeness stands in front of City Hall, where passersby can read about his life and legacy. Octavius Catto has always been part of the fabric of Philadelphia, and now his story will be illuminated every day.

Going live on @KYWNewsradio #ReportersRoundUp to talk #OctaviusVCatto unveiling at 12:40 – statute is first for sole AA on city property pic.twitter.com/Mo9BlnELZw

— Cherri Gregg (@cherrigregg) September 26, 2017

Catto statue celebration at city hall! pic.twitter.com/8YafjqB1iM

— Jessica Brown (@jessicamolly) September 26, 2017

Listening to @PhillyMayor inaugurate statue of Octavius Catto, one of #Philadelphia‘s unsung 19th century civil rights heroes pic.twitter.com/kUyNypu31M

— Joseph Bamat (@josephbamat) September 26, 2017

The Octavius V Catto Memorial at City Hall is now revealed. Come learn about an incredible man, activist, educator, leader & Philly neighbor pic.twitter.com/srvyMobyB8

— Philly City Rep (@PhillyCityRep) September 26, 2017

“A day I never thought was going to come. I’m humbled to be the mayor as we honor Octavius Catto.” –@PhillyMayor pic.twitter.com/as0ESlQQ5Q

— Stephanie Waters (@steptothehanie) September 26, 2017

Kicking off the groundbreaking of O.V. Catto memorial. Expect some @PhillyMayor tears. (I have cried 3 times already.) pic.twitter.com/uUU3DmVf5H

— Jane Slusser (@janeslusser) September 26, 2017

As our nation grapples with divisive monuments, here’s a 19th century legend whose recognition has been long overdue – Octavius Catto. pic.twitter.com/zkknuqRkRB

— Tu Huynh (@kaleotu) September 23, 2017

Join us on Wednesday, October 18, for the next Monument Lab Live event, themed around a discussion of hidden histories and missing monuments, featuring speakers and presenters who interrogate questions of authorship, representation, and history: Paper Monuments (NOLA), Vashti DuBois (Executive Director, The Colored Girls Museum, Philadelphia), Jarrett Drake (digital archivist, Cambridge, MA), Venissa Santí (Cuban–American vocalist, Philadelphia), and Monument Lab artists Kaitlin Pomerantz and Marisa Williamson.

Lead Monument Lab partners include the City of Philadelphia; Philadelphia Parks & Recreation; Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy; Historic Philadelphia; Independence National Historic Park; Penn Institute for Urban Research; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; Price Lab for Digital Humanities; and the University of Pennsylvania.

Major support for Monument Lab projects staged in Philadelphia’s five squares has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

An expanded artist roster and projects at five neighborhood sites have been made possible by a significant grant from the William Penn Foundation.

Lead corporate sponsor is Bank of America.

Additional support has been provided by Susanna Lachs & Dean Adler, William & Debbie Becker, CLAWS Foundation, Comcast NBCUniversal, Davis Charitable Foundation, Hummingbird Foundation, J2 Design, National Endowment for the Arts, Nick & Dee Adams Charitable Fund, Parkway Corporation, PECO, Relief Communications LLC, Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square, Stacey Spector & Ira Brind, Tiffany Tavarez, Tuttleman Family Foundation, Joe & Renee Zuritsky, and 432 Kickstarter backers. Support for Monument Lab‘s final publication provided by the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation.

Media partner: WHYY