Philadelphia will honor Sadie T. M. Alexander, a pioneering civil rights lawyer and economist, with a statue

Philadelphia is seeking artists to create a statue to honor civil rights lawyer and economist Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander and is planning a public meeting on the project Nov. 7.

Creative Philadelphia, the city’s office that oversees public art, said Alexander “broke barriers in academia and law and fought to protect the civil rights of underserved communities.”

Alexander was the first Black American to earn a Ph.D. in economics in the United States, from the University of Pennsylvania, in 1921.

She was also the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1927.

The Creative Philadelphia website includes three photos of Alexander, one as a young woman in her graduation gown, one as a mid-career professional woman standing with a group women to sign a petition, and one as an elder stateswoman.

The sign on the booth in the middle photo says: “Sign Petitions Here: Equal Job Opportunities in Department Stores.”

The Alexander statue will be installed at Thomas Paine Plaza outside the Municipal Services Building, at 15th Street and JFK Boulevard. It will become the city’s second public art statue of a Black woman, after Harriet Tubman, the city said.

“The City of Philadelphia is commissioning a permanent statue to honor Sadie T.M. Alexander for her groundbreaking achievements and profound impact on both the city and the nation,” Valerie Gay, the city’s chief cultural officer and executive director of Creative Philadelphia, said in an email to The Inquirer.

“We appreciate that Sadie Alexander was a native Philadelphian and trailblazing civil rights activist who dedicated her life to championing underserved communities. With many historic ‘firsts’ in law and economics, she paved the way for future generations of African Americans and underrepresented groups, making her an ideal figure to commemorate.”

Creative Philly (once known as the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy) is inviting people to attend a public meeting via Zoom at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, to learn more about the project. Register for the meeting by clicking here.

The city anticipates that the Alexander statue may be installed by the fall of 2026. The Tubman statue is scheduled to be unveiled at City Hall in early 2026.

The city will issue a formal “Call for Artists” on Nov. 18.

“Priority will be given to artists who reflect Philadelphia’s diversity, with strong encouragement for artists who represent racial and ethnic minority groups and women to apply,” Creative Philadelphia said. “Local artists who live or work in the Greater Philadelphia area will also be prioritized, but all interested artists are welcome to apply.”

There had been a public outcry when the previous city administration awarded a commission for the Tubman statue to one artist without a public selection process.

The Alexander statue was approved by City Council in 2018 after a resolution by then-City Councilmembers Cherelle L. Parker, Blondell Reynolds Brown, and Jannie Blackwell. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, derailed those efforts, Gay said.

Alexander was born in 1898 into the prominent Tanner family of Philadelphia.

Her maternal grandfather was Benjamin Tucker Tanner, a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded in Philadelphia by Richard Allen.

Her uncle was Henry Ossawa Tanner, the first Black American artist to win international acclaim. Her father, Aaron Albert Mossell, was the first Black graduate of Penn’s law school in 1888.

Alexander herself was known for achieving many firsts. In addition to becoming the first Black economist and the first Black woman to practice law in Pennsylvania, Alexander was the first national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

“Sadie Alexander was committed to advancing justice and equity and making things right.”

In the 1930s, Alexander and her husband, Judge Raymond Pace Alexander, fought school segregation in Chester County. They also challenged segregation in Philadelphia’s theaters, hotels, and restaurants.

President Harry S. Truman in 1946 appointed her to the President’s Committee on Civil Rights after violent attacks on Black Army veterans. A year later, the committee released its report, To Secure These Rights. The report led Truman to issue an executive order desegregating U.S. military forces in 1948.

The statue is coming at a time when a new generation of young women economists have elevated Alexander’s name and achievements by forming an organization called The Sadie Collective to support Black women in economics, finance, policy, and data science.

» READ MORE: Once ‘the center of the Black intellectual community in Philadelphia,’ the Henry O. Tanner House could be demolished

Creative Philadelphia held an introductory meeting of the statue selection committee last week. Rae Alexander-Minter, the daughter of Sadie T.M. Alexander and Raymond Pace Alexander, traveled from New York City to attend.

Alexander-Minter, who holds a doctorate in anthropology and education, said she was pleased about the statue. She provided personal details, such as how her mother dressed, and discussed whether the statue should portray her standing with a law book or a briefcase in her hands.

Christopher R. Rogers, CEO of the Friends of the Tanner House, and a member of the selection committee, said he pointed out that the Philadelphia School District and the University of Pennsylvania have honored Alexander by establishing the Penn Alexander School.

But because of gentrification, few Black children now attend Penn Alexander compared to when the school first opened. It opened in 2002 with a student body that was 57% Black. By 2023, The Inquirer reported, just 13% of students were Black.

“It’s important and special that they are honoring Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander,” Rogers said. “But what about the final product? They are using her name, but are they living up to her ideals?”

» READ MORE: Sadie Alexander’s daughter is ‘heartbroken’ at the state of the Philly school named for her mother

He said the city and all Philadelphians should keep that in mind as they make decisions about the Alexander statue. “More than just being an accomplished Black woman, Sadie Alexander was committed to advancing justice and equity and making things right,” Rogers said.

“She was somebody who fought for the rights and justice for all. I’m hoping as people walk by and see the statue, they think about what work they are doing to advance the values and the mission that she stood for.”