Black History Month: Octavius Catto Was An Civil Rights Activist, Educator & Baseball Pioneer
Octavius Catto fought for equal rights on and off the baseball diamond. As co-founder of Philadelphia’s Pythian Base Ball Club, Catto was a passionate and talented player. In September 1869, he led the Pythians against the all white Olympics in what was likely the first recorded instance of an interracial baseball game. His brilliant career as an educator and civil rights activist was cut short when he was murdered during Election Day riots in 1871.
