It took the city of Philadelphia almost 150 years to honor our namesake martyr Octavius Catto with a statue, yet Frank Rizzo, a man with quite a racist, brutal past, was memorialized not even a decade following his death. Black residents of Philly have long struggled under institutionalized oppression, which escalated under Rizzo’s command. Considering his history instigating police-sanctioned attacks on African-American protestors, as well as the abolishment of the Police Advisory Board, it’s hard to understand why in the first place he was even honored. The sheer support for Rizzo without criticism proves that black lives don’t matter, at least to the general public. The removal of his statue in Center City marks an important moment in the struggle against systemic racism. However, we must not dismiss the fact it existed at all. Black Americans have long been victims in this racist society, and it’s time to hold those in power accountable.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/inq/philadelphia-police-brutality-history-frank-rizzo-20200710.html
