Philadelphia Calls on Residents to Etch Their Words into History on Upcoming Harriet Tubman Statue
The City of Philadelphia has issued a public call for submissions to finalize the permanent Harriet Tubman statue slated for City Hall, inviting residents and local workers to author a quote that will be permanently inscribed on the monument’s base. Under the initiative titled “In Harriet’s Footsteps,” the city’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (Creative Philadelphia) is accepting original writings through March 1, 2026, offering a rare opportunity for a contemporary voice to stand alongside the legacy of the famed abolitionist.
The selection process demands that submissions directly answer the prompt: “What does it mean to walk in Harriet Tubman’s footsteps today?” The requirements are strict; the text must be a one- to two-sentence original reflection, not exceeding 50 words. It cannot be a quote from Tubman herself, nor can it be attributed to any other historical figure. The winning entry will be etched into the stone base of the 15-foot bronze sculpture, attributed simply to “A Philadelphia Citizen,” ensuring the sentiment represents the collective spirit of the city rather than an individual ego. However, the author’s name will be formally recognized on the statue’s credit panel.
Once the submission window closes, a committee including the statue’s sculptor, Alvin Pettit, will narrow the pool to ten finalists. In a nod to the democratic process that eventually shaped this project, the final decision will be placed in the hands of the public through an online vote.
A Statue Forged in Controversy
The road to this moment has been paved with significant civic friction. The project initially sparked a firestorm in 2022 when city officials announced a $500,000 direct commission to Wesley Wofford, a white artist from North Carolina. Wofford had previously created a traveling exhibition of Tubman that was temporarily displayed at City Hall, which Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration had hoped to purchase or replicate permanently.
That decision was met with immediate and vocal objections from Philadelphia’s Black artistic community and public historians. Critics argued that a monument to a Black freedom fighter in a majority-Black city should be created through an open, competitive process that prioritized Black artists. The backlash forced the city to rescind the commission and launch a public competition.
“It should have been brought to the community, and we should have been made aware and been able to select an African American sculpture artist,” advocates argued during the height of the opposition. The resulting open call attracted dozens of proposals, ultimately leading to the selection of Alvin Pettit in October 2023.
Redefining the Image of Tubman
Pettit’s winning design, A Higher Power: The Call of a Freedom Fighter, departs from the traditional “Moses” imagery often associated with Tubman. Instead of depicting her solely as a conductor of the Underground Railroad, the statue presents her as a formidable military leader and soldier. The design features Tubman in a moment of prayer but clearly ready for battle, with a rifle slung across her back and a pistol at her waist, standing atop a mound of broken shackles and the ruins of a Confederate flag.
The statue will be the first permanent public monument of a historical Black woman in Philadelphia’s civic art collection. It will be installed on the Northeast Apron of City Hall, commanding a prominent position in the city’s center. While the statue will feature two of Tubman’s own historical quotes on its sides, the addition of a citizen’s quote on the back is intended to bridge the gap between her 19th-century heroism and the modern-day struggle for equity and justice.
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