Michael Thomas Leibrandt: A chance to be a part of Philly history

From William Penn to George Washington to Benjamin Franklin, words from Philadelphians have shaped our city even before the exuberant celebrations that accompanied the signing of our Declaration of our Independence in July of 1776 at the Pennsylvania State House. Now, Philadelphians can be a part of the next chapter of our city’s history.

The City of Philadelphia announced that it is accepting open submissions for a short quote to place on one side of the approximately 15-foot sculpture honoring Harriet Tubman from now until March 1st. The winner’s quote will be displayed on the new Tubman Statue which will be located on the north side of City Hall.

Nearly one hundred and seventy five years ago, when Harriet Tubman first set foot in Philadelphia in 1849 after following the Underground Railroad from Maryland and crossing into Pennsylvania, she found her own freedom in a city full of dozens of immigrants who had arrived at the metropolis snugly situated in between the Delaware and the Schuylkill Rivers from all corners of the globe looking for a new beginning of their own. 

While staying in our city, Tubman would stay at both the row home of William Still and also the historic Johnson House — which was a Germantown stop on the Underground Railroad. She even met with Lucretia Mott, who leased the land right outside of Philadelphia for Camp William Penn — the first training ground in the country for over 9,000 African American troops in the Union Army. Tubman would visit the camp in 1865.

During the American Civil War, Tubman was also able to provide assistance to the Federal Army. She was present in South Carolina for the Second Battle of Fort Wagner with the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. In the 1850s, she also assisted John Brown in both preparation and recruitment for an assault on Harper’s Ferry that took place in 1859. In all, she assisted more than sixty-five slaves find freedom during more than ten total operations.

The artwork by Sculptor Alvin Pettit will reside outside of City Hall and is planned to be unveiled in the Fall of 2026.

A sculptor from the state of North Carolina named Wesley Wofford was originally contracted for half a million dollars for the creation of a monument to Tubman in Philadelphia. Arguments were made that the contract for designing the statue should be an open call, allowing “A Higher Power: The Call of a Freedom Fighter” by Pettit to be selected as the winner.

Vinnie Bagwell, Pettit, Richard Blake (who withdrew due to another engagement), Basil Watson and Tanda Francis were the five semi-finalists to create the tribute statue. The new statue will reside for all to see in the northeast corner of the current Philadelphia City Hall. Among its inscriptions will be the winning submission, as well as two quotes on the other side of the statue of the American hero.

Michael Thomas Leibrandt lives and works in Abington, Pennsylvania.