5 people Philly should hype instead of Ben Franklin | Opinion

Ben Franklin is omnipresent in how Philly markets itself. His head sits on everything from Philadelphia tourism promotions to microbrewery labels. But Franklin is overexposed. His appearance on anything made in, for, or by Philadelphia has become obnoxiously trite. It’s high time for Ben to ride the pine for a little bit. He’s always been our All-Star, and always will be, but when the Sixers are up 30, even Joel Embiid gets a rest and the others get a chance to shine.

That is why I present, for your consideration, some other early Philadelphians for this city to worship — or at least include portraits of on our tote bags. (And unlike Franklin, none of them ever owned enslaved people.)

A staunch and incorruptible abolitionist from a slave-holding family, Morris was a known firebrand and loudmouth who attended the Constitutional Convention in Philly and delivered more speeches than anyone else, including James Madison.

How we hype him now: There are a few places in New York state named for Morris, including a town and a village, as well as a since-scrapped, World War II-era cargo ship

What we need: There is precious little mention of Gouverneur Morris in Philly. Such a colorful character should be on the label of a locally produced IPA. (C’mon, you know this guy liked to throw ’em back.)

An obsessive academic, Rush had his paws on everything from the Revolution to the establishment of “modern” medicine.

A revolutionary and delegate to the Continental Congress like Gouverneur Morris, Rush was considered to be among the foremost doctors of the Colonial period. He served as surgeon general of the Continental Army under then-Gen. George Washington.

Rush’s real influence came from his advocacy for a then-modern form of occupational therapy for the mentally infirm. He was among the first to regard people with psychiatric issues as having mental diseases.

How we hype him now: Benjamin Rush’s legacy has already been honored with a Northeast Philly performing arts school and a state park that’s home to one of the largest community gardens in the world.

What we need: Much more of our medical infrastructure needs to acknowledge Rush, a vitally important figure in the establishment of modern medicine. With approximately 20 gazillion medical buildings in Philadelphia, maybe one could bear his name.

Chief among Philadelphia-area ancient eccentrics is Benjamin Lay, a 4-foot-tall abolitionist and Quaker who was at once perhaps the most righteous and annoying man in town. Lay’s abolitionism was allegedly jump-started on a trip to Barbados, where he saw a slave kill himself rather than sustain any more physical punishment from his owner. Lay was particularly incensed by his fellow Quakers’ participation in and profit from chattel slavery. He wrote a scathing polemic against that practice.

Lay was an energetic powerhouse and personal friend of Ben Franklin. He had a knack for the theatrical. One of his most famous episodes involved his attending a Quaker meeting and removing his overcoat to reveal a military uniform and sword and saying, “God will take vengeance on those who oppress their fellow creatures.”

How we hype him now: Abington Quakers have erected an honorary gravestone for Benjamin Lay and his wife.

What we need: Replacing the William Penn statue on top of City Hall with one of Benjamin Lay has been floated by activists. Let’s do it.

Absalom Jones, a close contemporary of legendary Black Philadelphia colonial Richard Allen, was of equal importance to early Philadelphia. Jones was the first Black American to be ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church.

A vital figure among Philadelphia’s free Black population, Jones assisted in the founding of the Free African Society, a proto-mutual aid society for Black Philadelphians. Jones was also among the first-ever Black Americans to petition Congress in opposition to the Fugitive Slave Act. Jones is venerated in the Book of Common Prayer’s Calendar of Saints on Feb. 13.

How we hype him now: Jones is an important figure in the history of the Episcopal Church in America, and his cremated remains are in a reliquary at African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas on Lancaster Avenue, which he helped establish.

What we need: Allen gets a lot more attention than his ally Jones, who deserves more public recognition. There is a wax statue of Jones at Baltimore’s National Great Blacks in Wax Museum. Perhaps a similar statue of Jones is in order for the north end of City Hall?

It’s no surprise that women were underrepresented in colonial leadership. But as in the history of all revolutionary periods, women played a major role, and none less than Esther De Berdt Reed. De Berdt Reed, the wife of Pennsylvania Gov. Joseph Reed, was a committed revolutionary who, before many American leaders recognized the same, saw no possibility for reconciliation between the United States and the United Kingdom.

De Berdt Reed wrote a popular broadside excoriating the women of Philadelphia to join the revolutionary cause, which led to the establishment of the Ladies’ Association of Philadelphia. The Ladies’ Association raised $300,000, which was eventually used by Gen. Washington to clothe the famously undersupplied Continental Army. Women would have an even greater impact in European revolutions after the American Revolution, and De Berdt Reed played a role that would echo in history: a fervent female revolutionary who contributed philosophically and materially to the cause.

How we hype her now: We don’t, really.

What we need: How about a high school named for De Berdt Reed? Her name is a bit of a mouthful, yes, but as of 2020, a pitiful 5% of Philly’s schools were named for women (not including last week’s renaming of Andrew Jackson Elementary for trailblazer Fanny Jackson Coppin). De Berdt Reed’s husband helped administer the abolition of slavery in Pennsylvania, so she’s OK on that front — and worthy for her own contributions.

Quinn O’Callaghan is a freelance writer and English teacher. He can be reached @gallandguile and quinnocallaghan91@gmail.com.