A Seedbed of Activism

This chapter discusses the history of the first black college established – The Institute for Colored Youth (ICY). The ICY would later be renamed Cheyney State University. Founded in 1837, the ICY became a critical staging ground for both the abolitionist movement and the early civil rights movement. With key players such as Ebenezer Bassett, Octavius Catto, and Fanny Jackson Coppin leading the school, the ICY set the template for how black educational institutions would create a pedagogy and praxis that encouraged and radicalized generations of youth to serve their communities as agents for change. Tragically, the most pivotal event of the school’s early years was the assassination of its beloved teacher and alum Octavius Catto in 1871 who was murdered in the streets of Philadelphia after playing a critical role in organizing support for the 15th amendment.