South Philadelphia playground statue is a first of its kind

On July 31, Philadelphia officials unveiled the city’s first public statue of an African American girl, at Smith Playground at 24th and Snyder Streets in South Philadelphia. After the dedication, neighborhood children were invited to touch the statue, which portrays a young basketball player in action. At the unveiling, artist Brian McCutcheon said that his initial thought was to build a monument to the people who typically use the park. “And with the politics of the day, just thinking about how people of color are not represented in public art," he said, "it seemed a natural fit.”