From left: Amber E. Harris, co-founder of ITLTF, Councilmember Mark Squilla, center, in whose district the renaming took place, spoke at the Oct. 8, 2026 ceremony. Leland Morroccos, co-founder and executive director of ITLTF is at the right.
Photo: Constance Garcia-Barrio

By Constance Garcia-Barrio

Octavius V. Catto

An old murder scene was transformed into a place of honor on October 8. On that sunny afternoon, city officials, historians and activists gathered to rename South Street between Eighth and Ninth Streets Octavius Catto Way. Catto, an educator, athlete, soldier, and fighter for Black rights, was shot near the heart and killed close to the busy intersection on October 10, 1871.

Kevin Walls, longtime member of the O.V. Catto Masonic Lodge, attended the street renaming.
Photo: Constance Garcia-Barrio

It’s The Little Things Foundation (ITLTF), a nonprofit founded in January 2026, proposed renaming the block of South Street where Catto lived and died as one of its first public projects. Amber E. Harris, co-founder of ITLTF, presided at Thursday’s celebration.

“For us, honoring Octavius V. Catto means continuing to invest in people,” said Leland Morroccos, co-founder and executive director of ITLTF. “At [our foundation], we believe that meaningful change often begins with something small, [such as] helping someone obtain a pardon or expungement [or] restoring a driver’s license.”

The foundation can also assist with business clothing, financial literacy, job interview preparation, and more, Morroccos added,

“The street renaming gives us an opportunity to honor his legacy not simply by remembering what he accomplished, but by asking ourselves what we are going to do with the opportunities we have today,” he said.

Catto, born free in South Carolina to a prominent mixed-race family, moved to Philadelphia with his parents when he was about 5-years-old. He graduated from the Institute for Colored Youth, which later became Cheyney University, as valedictorian of his class in 1858.

A renaissance man, Catto helped build and lead the Banneker Literary Institute as well as the Pennsylvania Equal Rights League, and the Phythian Baseball Club, a pioneering group of amateur African American players.

Catto’s sweetheart Caroline Le Count, a teacher and civil rights advocate.
Illustration from Wikipedia

In addition, Catto and his sweetheart, Caroline Le Count, a teacher and civil rights advocate, fought to integrate Philadelphia’s horse-drawn street cars.

Catto’s militancy meant facing danger. A threat of violence loomed in Philadelphia on October 10, 1871, Election Day. The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in February of 1870, gave Black men the right to vote, but some white Philadelphians opposed Black voting. Catto was killed near his South Street home that Election Day as part of a campaign to intimidate Black voters. When the case went to trial, Catto’s killer, Frank Kelly, an Irishman, was acquitted.

Catto’s sacrifice and courage were recognized at last Thursday’s program. The proceedings opened with a prayer and a splendid rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” by Jillian Pirtle, CEO of the Marian Anderson Historical Society.

Remarks from community leaders followed. Catherine Hicks, president of the Philadelphia Branch of the NAACP and publisher of the Philadelphia Sunday SUN, addressed the gathering.

“We do more than rename a street,” Hicks said. “We recommit ourselves to demanding our rightful place in America.”

Speakers included City Councilmember Mark Squilla (D-1st Dist.), in whose district Octavius Catto Way is located.

“When It’s The Little Things Foundation came to me and proposed renaming the street, it was a no-brainer,” Squilla said. “Every member of City Council co-sponsored the resolution. The [street] sign will remind people of what it means to have the right to vote.”

Members of the O. V. Catto Lodge No. 20
Photo: Constance Garcia-Barrio

Members of the O. V. Catto Lodge No. 20, a historic fraternal organization in Philadelphia founded in honor Catto, came out in force.

“The Lodge is a charity,” said Catto Lodge No. 20 leader David Wilson, “We donate to schools, sponsor food giveaways, street clean ups, campaigns to fight homelessness and more.”

SUN columnist, broadcaster, activist and attorney Michael Coard —founder of Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC) —filmed the event. ATAC, founded in 2002, compelled the National Park Service to create a prominent slavery memorial.

Mijuel K. Johnson, a lead guide and historian for the Black Journey: A Black History Walking Tour, attended.

Mijuel K. Johnson, a lead guide and historian for the Black Journey: A Black History Walking Tour.
Photo: Constance Garcia-Barrio

“It’s nice to see [Octavius Catto] get his due,” Johnson said. “When we do our 7th Ward tour, we always mention that Catto was an educator and activist.”

In Catto’s day, the 7th Ward lay between Sixth Street and Twenty-Third, and Spruce Street and South Street. It was once a cultural and social hub for Black Philadelphians.

Beatrice Sessoms, a board member of the Marian Anderson Museum, was also in attendance. The museum’s artifacts include photos, paintings, performance gowns, recordings and more.

“This ceremony is so inspiring,” she said.

The renaming ceremony represents another step the city has taken to celebrate one of its giants, speakers noted. In 2017, the city erected a bronze statue of Catto on the south apron of City Hall. The monument includes a granite ballot box. It is Philadelphia’s first public monument dedicated to a single African American individual on public land.

The bronze statue dedicated to Octavius V. Catto on the South apron of Philadelphia City Hall.
Photo by Bill Z. Foster

The city also provides funds for the robust Octavius Catto Scholarship at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP). Begun in 2021, the program provides full tuition, said Greg Nelson, MPS, assistant director of scholar recruitment & success for the program at CCP.

“There are currently 2,005 Catto scholars with over 5,000 served since the scholarship’s launch,” Nelson said.

“The scholarship covers tuition and all my books,” psychology major Sabrina Cave said of the enhanced academic support on Thursday. “In the future, I would like to be a guidance counselor.”

“There’s also an allowance for basic needs like transportation,” she added. “I can go to my counselors and talk freely [when issues arise].”

Speakers and guests circled back to the legacy of Catto’s sacrifice and the continuing importance of voting.

They offered suggestions about how to proceed with the mid-term elections just weeks away.

Keep in mind that October 19 is the last day to register to vote. If you are unsure of other election deadlines, see https://vote.pa/info/. You may also consult this website about voting by mail.

If you own a car and have neighbors with mobility issues, offer to drive them to the polls.

For more suggestions about getting about the vote, visit: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/help-get-out-the-vote/.

Consider amplifying your voice by joining organizations like the NAACP, the Urban League, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

One speaker put the matter succinctly: “The more we vote, the more we get.”

For more information about the It’s The Little Things Foundation, visit: https://itsthelittlethingspa.org/.