The city of Philadelphia has selected the winning artist behind the design for the new Harriet Tubman statue outside City Hall, writes Melissa Noel for Essence.

Alvin Pettit, a Jersey City-based artist originally from Baltimore, was selected as the artist, beating out four other semifinalists.

His design is titled, “A Higher Power: The Call of a Freedom Fighter,” and features a nearly 14-foot tall bronze statue of Tubman.

Once erected, the statue will be the first in the city’s public art collection of a historical Black woman. 

“This woman was a soldier, a scout, a union spy, a military strategist, and a war hero. Therefore, I captured a moment in time that shows her as a conqueror,” said Pettit during a news conference unveiling the sculpture. 

The statue shows Tubman with her hands folded in prayer and a rifle strapped to his back as she stands on broken shackles and with a Confederate flag under her foot. 

Tubman’s descendant, Danetta Green Johnson, highlighted how the statue depicts a good portrayal of bravery, strength, and resilience.

Pettit is no stranger to creating sculptures celebrating historical Black figures, as he’s designed others for the likes of Mary McLeod Bethune and Marian Anderson. 

Learn more about the new Harriet Tubman statue and the artist behind it at Essence.

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