From Wikipedia
Octavious Catto fought fearlessly for the desegregation of Philadelphia’s trolley car system. The May 18, 1865 issue of the New York Times ran a story discussing the civil disobedience tactics employed by Catto as he fought for civil rights:
Philadelphia, Wednesday, May 17—2 P. M.
Last evening a colored man got into a Pine-street passenger car, and refused all entreaties to leave the car, where his presence appeared to be not desired. The conductor of the car, fearful of being fined for ejecting him, as was done by the Judges of one of our courts in a similar case, ran the car off the track, detached the horses, and left the colored man to occupy the car all by himself. The colored man still firmly maintains his position in the car, having spent the whole of the night there. The conductor looks upon the part he enacted in the affair as a splendid piece of strategy. The matter creates quite a sensation in the neighborhood where the car is standing, and crowds of sympathizers flock around the colored man.
(New York Times, May 18, 1865, p. 5)
"...enlisting the help of US Senators Thaddeus Stevens and William D. Kelley, Catto was instrumental in the passage of a Pennsylvania bill that prohibited segregation on transit systems in the state."
Read more about Octavius Catto here
8 comments:
Thanks for this information. I like knowing about the firsts by black folks.
I appreciate you dropping the science on Octavius Catto, Val.
You've just schooled me. This wasn't even taught back in my Black History course!
One.
Black History is so rich. Thanks Val!
The fellas said what I think. Thanks for spreading the good truth!
@Daij
Me too. And we've done a lot of great things first.
@Lin
I bet the kids still aren't learning about Mr. Catto.
@Jason
Glad you enjoyed it.
@CurvyGurl ♥
I love posting stuff like this!
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