Philadelphia announced a public art competition to commission a statue of civil rights activist and economist Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, who was the first black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law.

The call for artists will begin on November 18, following a meeting to gather feedback from residents on how to best honor Alexander while representing the city’s history and values. The statue is expected to be installed in Thomas Paine Square, outside the Municipal Services Building by fall 2026.

Alexander was the first black American to obtain a doctorate. in economics in the United States, which she received from Penn in 1921. She diploma from Penn Carey Law in 1927.

Alexander and her husband, Judge Raymond Pace Alexander, fought segregation in Philadelphia’s theaters, hotels and restaurants in the 1930s, as well as school segregation in Chester County. In 1946, President Harry Truman appointed Alexander to the President’s Committee on Civil Rights after violent attacks against black veterans. Following the report released by the committee a year later, Truman issued an executive order in 1948 to desegregate U.S. military forces.

Alexander “shattered glass ceilings, championed underserved communities, and contributed greatly to the city and nation by expanding economic opportunities for people of color,” according to the Philadelphia Creative Website.

The Philadelphia City Council first approved efforts to install a statue honoring Alexander in 2018, but plans were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Once erected, it will be the city’s second public art statue of a historic black woman, after Harriet Tubman. However, the statue is not the first attempt to honor Alexander. In 2001, Penn and the School District of Philadelphia founded the Penn Alexander School in 2001, inspired by his heritage.

The statue competition follows the training of The Sadie collectivean organization created by young economists to honor Alexander and her achievements in supporting Black women in economics, finance, politics, and data science.

The open art competition on the Alexander statue responds to criticism of the previous city administration’s decision to award the commission for the Tubman statue without a public selection process.

“Priority will be given to artists who reflect the diversity of Philadelphia, with strong encouragement for artists who represent racial and ethnic minority groups and women to apply,” the Creative Philadelphia website states. “Local artists who live or work in the Greater Philadelphia area will also be prioritized, but all interested artists are encouraged to apply.”