Source: Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander | University Archives and Records Center
On a sweltering June afternoon, a small crowd gathered at Thomas Paine Plaza outside Philadelphia’s Municipal Services Building, eyes glued to a virtual presentation of five starkly different sculptures.
The occasion? The unveiling on June 18, 2025 of the finalist designs for a long‑awaited statue of Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, courtesy of Creative Philadelphia. With the public survey open through July 9, 2025 and an online feedback portal accepting ratings on scale, symbolism, and setting, the debate has become a live forum for civic engagement in the Philadelphia public art debate.
A Philadelphia native born January 2, 1898, Sadie Alexander shattered racial and gender barriers to become the first Black woman to earn a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania (1927) and became the first Black woman to practice law in the state. Now, nearly a century after her academic triumphs, the city is poised to install a bronze homage, amplifying conversations around representation in public monuments.
Sadie Alexander’s Legacy
Sadie Tanner Mossell hailed from a family steeped in achievement. Her father, Aaron Albert Mossell II, was the first African‑American graduate of Penn’s law school, and her maternal lineage included Bishop Benjamin Tucker Tanner and painter Henry Ossawa Tanner.
Source: Wikipedia
Alexander’s professional journey spanned academia, municipal service, and national advocacy. She became Pennsylvania’s first Black woman to practice law, later serving as assistant city solicitor in Philadelphia. In 1946, President Truman appointed her to the President’s Committee on Civil Rights; she was a founding member of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in 1963 and served on the National Urban League board.
Why a Statue Matters
In a city whose skyline teems with statues of founding fathers and military heroes, only one other public monument commemorates a historic Black woman, Harriet Tubman, outside City Hall. A second, honoring Sadie Alexander, would mark a watershed in addressing gaps in representation in public monuments, acknowledging Black women’s contributions to Philadelphia’s civic legacy.
The Statue Project Timeline
Announcement & Call for Artists
On November 7, 2024, Creative Philadelphia hosted a virtual public input meeting, inviting over 150 residents to share their aspirations for a Sadie Alexander statue. Eleven days later, on November 18, 2024, the city issued a nationwide Call for Artists (Request for Qualifications), open through December 30, 2024.
Statue Selection Committee Members:
- Dr. Rae Alexander-Minter, Daughter of Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander
- Nina Banks, Professor of Economics, Bucknell University
- Kymelle Clark, Director of Public Engagement, Office of Councilman Jeffery Young, Jr.
- Nigel Davis, Co-Chair, University of Pennsylvania Black Law Students Association
- Vashti Dubois, Founder, The Colored Girls Museum
- Dayona Evans, Community Engagement Coordinator, Friends of the Henry O. Tanner House
- Pamela Gwaltney, Deputy Director, Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations
- Iliana Odette Harris, Assistant Director for Community and Engagement, University of Pennsylvania Law School
- Damon Hewitt, President, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
- Catherine Hicks, President, NAACP, Philadelphia Chapter
- Dr. Sandile Hlatshwayo, Board Chair, The Sadie Collective
- Miguel Horn, Artist, Sculptor
- Niki Ingram, President, Philadelphia Bar Foundation
- Erin Kindt, Capital Program Office, City of Philadelphia
- Mike Lee, Executive Director, ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) of Pennsylvania
- Aaron Lewis, Family of Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, Managing Director, Full Court Development
- Kimberly A. Lloyd, President, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority- Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter
- Karen Skafte, Principal, Ground Reconsidered (Paine Plaza Design team)
- Karen Warrington, Former Communications Director, Congressman Bob Brady
Selection Process
The selection unfolded in two phases:
- Part 1 (Qualifications): Artist teams submitted résumés, portfolios, and statements by December 30, 2024.
- Part 2 (Design Proposals): Five finalists were announced on February 19, 2025. They received stipends to craft full designs, which were presented to the public at a Zoom meeting on June 17, 2025.
“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.
Installation Plans
Slated for fall 2026, the bronze statue will stand outside the Municipal Services Building at Thomas Paine Plaza (15th & JFK Blvd), anchoring a newly renovated public space.
Design Finalists & Public Feedback
On June 18, 2025, Creative Philadelphia unveiled five distinctive proposals. Voters are encouraged to rate each design on scale, theme, durability, site integration, and public resonance, with the survey closing July 9, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST axios.com.
- Vinnie Bagwell: “The First Lady of the Law: Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander”
A poised, life‑size figure in robes, balancing a law book and pointing skyward, a nod to her legal scholarship.
Source: https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/06/18/sadie-alexander-statue-designs
- Rayvenn Shaleigha D’Clark: “Democracy’s Battle Cry”
A dynamic silhouette with arms raised, surrounded by abstract bronze “sound waves” symbolizing her voice in civil rights.
Source: https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/06/18/sadie-alexander-statue-designs
- Tanda Francis design:
A multi‑textured collage of panels depicting key life chapters education, law practice, activism with a central bust.
Source: https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/06/18/sadie-alexander-statue-designs
- Alvin Pettit: “The Face of Resilience”
A larger‑than‑life bust emerging from rough‑hewn stone, representing her rise from adversity.
Source: https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/06/18/sadie-alexander-statue-designs
- Team Wilson/Honzo/Hayes
Source: https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/06/18/sadie-alexander-statue-designs
Visual & Thematic Differences
Each proposal interprets Alexander’s impact differently, some emphasize her legal milestones, others her activism or enduring spirit. Reviewers should consider how materials (bronze patina, limestone base), scale, and interactivity align with Plaza’s architecture.
How to Participate
Visit the Creative Philadelphia survey page to rank proposals and comment by July 9, 2025. Categories include:
- Artistic Merit
- Historical Accuracy
- Site Compatibility
- Public Engagement
- Durability & Maintenance
Broader Implications
Public Art & Collective Memory
Monuments shape civic memory. From the Octavius V. Catto Memorial (City Hall, 2017) to the All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors (Logan Square, 1934), Philadelphia’s public art reflects evolving narratives. A Sadie Alexander statue would not only commemorate her achievements but recalibrate whose stories are told in bronze and granite.
This project exemplifies how representation in public monuments can contribute to social equity. Philadelphia’s open‑call process and public surveys demonstrate a model of participatory art commissioning.
What Comes Next
After the public survey closes July 9, 2025, the Selection Committee will convene in late July to weigh feedback alongside artistic and historic considerations. A winning design is expected to be announced at the end of July 2025, followed by contract approval and design development in August–September 2025. Installation, including fabrication and site work, will proceed through fall 2026, culminating in an unveiling ceremony complete with educational programming in Thomas Paine Plaza.
Conclusion
The Sadie Alexander statue debate transcends questions of bronze and pedestal, it asks Philadelphians to reflect on whose stories we honor and why. As a pioneering economist, lawyer, and civil rights advocate, Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander’s life embodies resilience, intellect, and justice. This statue will be more than public art, it will declare that equity, history, and civic identity belong to all. Philadelphians are urged to lend their voices via the Creative Philadelphia survey and in doing so, shape the city’s narrative for generations to come.
Anand Subramanian is a freelance photographer and content writer based out of Tamil Nadu, India. Having a background in Engineering always made him curious about life on the other side of the spectrum. He leapt forward towards the Photography life and never looked back. Specializing in Documentary and Portrait photography gave him an up-close and personal view into the complexities of human beings and those experiences helped him branch out from visual to words. Today he is mentoring passionate photographers and writing about the different dimensions of the art world.
