Nineteenth century Philadelphian, Octavius Valentine Catto, was a remarkable scholar, teacher, civil rights leader, community organizer and athlete. Sadly, his name and his deeds have been for too long left out of the mainstream historical narrative. Fortunately, our city will soon get an important and long overdue history lesson. Thanks to the vigorous efforts of Mayor Kenney and many others, a statue memorializing Catto will soon be installed on the south apron of City Hall—the first monument to an individual African-American ever erected in Philadelphia. In this interactive session led by Amy Cohen, director of Education for the documentary film company History Making Productions, participants will view clips from “An Equal Chance: 1855-1871,” a segment from the 14-part “Philadelphia: The Great Experiment” series, which can be viewed for free at historyofphilly.com. Participants will also examine and analyze primary sources related to Catto’s life story and will engage in discussions based on provocative and timely questions raised by the content of the film.

18th Annual Law and Society Week

Location: Winnet Student Life Building, Great Hall, Room S2-19