June 19, 2025
Public Domain/Retrieved via Wikimedia Commons
Five finalists in a design contest for a new statue of Sadie T.M. Alexander have been revealed, and the city has asked the public for input. The statue will be housed outside the Municipal Services Building at Thomas Paine Plaza.
The pool of potential designs for the new statue of Sadie T.M. Alexander planned for Thomas Paine Plaza in Center City was narrowed to proposals from five artists this week, and now the city is requesting the public's feedback on each before it makes its final choice.
In the fall, the city's art office, Creative Philadelphia, announced it would install a statue of Alexander outside the Municipal Services Building, at Broad Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Alexander was a pioneering economist, lawyer and civil rights activist born in Philadelphia in 1898 who spent portions of her childhood here and in Washington, D.C.
MORE: Six-story art project to open in former Manufacturers' National Bank building in Old City in 2026
She attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she became the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in economics in 1921. Six years later, she became the first Black woman to earn a degree from Penn's law school. Alexander served on President Harry Truman's Committee on Civil Rights and was a founding member of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
The winning design of the Alexander statue will be selected by a committee, which will consider the public's input in its decision. Submit input and opinions about each design by completing Creative Philadelphia's online survey by July 9. The survey asks people to rate the designs in seven categories: artistic excellence, likeness, essence, emotional qualities, educational qualities, connection to youth and site appropriateness.
When it's installed in fall 2026, Alexander's sculpture will be the city's second statue of a historic African American female figure after a Harriet Tubman monument. Sculptor Alvin Pettit is creating the 15-foot tall Tubman statue that will be placed on the northeast corner outside City Hall. He also is among finalists for the Alexander statue.
Here are the designs of all five finalists:
'The First Lady of the Law: Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander' statue design from Vinnie Bagwell.
Vinnie Bagwell is a sculptor from Yonkers, New York. Among her public artwork is the statue of Ella Fitzgerald in Yonkers and one of Frederick Douglass at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. She also was a finalist for the Philly's Tubman statue. About her design for the Alexander project, Bagwell says:
"Dr. Alexander will be captured in a moment after her Penn graduation ceremony, still partially dressed in her graduation robe, which will expose a flowing dress. A crown, in the guise of a straw hat adorned with flowers, will transform a simple fashion statement into an icon of dignity, power, and perseverance. ... Her outstretched hand will symbolize welcome, empowerment, and the act of inspiring change."
'Democracy's Battle Cry' statues design from Rayvenn D'Clark.
Rayvenn D'Clark is a digital sculptor based in London, England. D'Clark created a collection of three bronze statues at Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery, Alabama, titled "Black Renaissance" that was unveiled in 2024. About her design for the Alexander project, D'Clark says:
"Inspired by the phrase 'Don’t stoop to conquer,' the sculpture invites people to pause and reflect on the complex history of the city and the ongoing struggle for justice. The artwork will be a true-to-life-sized, modern bronze statue of Dr. Alexander standing on a round base. The base is inscribed with the words sui generis, a Latin phrase meaning 'unique.'"
'Passing the Torch' design from Tanda Francis.
Tanda Francis is a Brooklyn-based artist who has public pieces across New York City, including at Fort Greene Park, Riverside Park and Van Cortlandt Park. About her design for the Alexander project, Francis says:
"'The Passing the Torch' memorial honors her legacy by creating a powerful visual and interactive connection between Sadie and the people she uplifted–especially young people. The sculpture combines traditional and contemporary forms. Sadie stands strong at the top, her posture proud yet warm, looking down with compassion and strength. Below her, a stack of community portraits– some realistic, some abstract– represent the generations she touched and inspired."
'The Face of Resilience' design by Alvin Pettit.
Alvin Pettit is a New York/New Jersey-based artist who was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Baltimore. In addition to Philadelphia's Harriet Tubman statue, which is entitled "A Higher Power: The Call of a Freedom Fighter," Petit also created a 9-foot tall bronze monument of civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune that stands in a park named after her in Jersey City, New Jersey. About his design for the Alexander project, Pettit says:
"Sadie T.M. Alexander wore many hats in her lifetime, both figuratively and literally. It is impossible to represent her many accomplishments within one sculpture. Therefore, I chose to portray her in ways that invites curiosity to learn more about her."
' Justice in Her Hands, A Torch For Us All' design by Team Wilson + Hayes + Honzo.
This team is composed of artists David Wilson, Stephen Hayes and Acori Honzo. Wilson, based in Durham, North Carolina, created the Google Hub Mural in that city that was completed in 2023. Hayes grew up in Durham and created the "Boundless" collection of sculptures in honor of Black Union soldiers in the Civil War at the Battle of Forks Road that stands on the grounds of Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina. Honzo is a Philadelphia-based artist who makes 1/6 scale "afro pop" figurines of Black figures such as Malcolm X and the Notorious B.I.G. About their design for the Alexander project, the team says:
"The centerpiece honors Sadie standing tall, uplifted on a symbolic pedestal – held up not by stone, but by the lives she impacted. In her hands rests a book depicting a miniature courthouse. Rising behind her, a triangle honors her Delta Sigma Theta sisterhood – a nod to the collective power of Black women who move as one."
Follow Shamus on X: @shamus_clancy
Follow Shamus on Bluesky: @shamus
