SEPTA honors Caroline Rebecca LeCount, a civil rights icon who helped desegregate Philly’s transit system in the 1860s

Long before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus, another civil rights hero made a similar stand in Philadelphia.

As part of its recognition of Black History Month, SEPTA honored the life and courage of Caroline Rebecca LeCount Wednesday morning at its headquarters on Market Street.

As a distinguished student at the Institute for Colored Youth and the first Black woman in the Philadelphia area to pass the city’s teacher exam, LeCount was a civil rights advocate of many talents. She was also a part of an organization of women supporting the Union in the American Civil War. 

Beyond her activism in schools, LeCount’s legacy is rooted in her work in desegregating public transit. 

“Caroline Lecount’s work had many parallels to that of Rosa Parks, except that her efforts in 1867 were centered on streetcars that were still powered by horses,” said SEPTA’s General Manager Scott Sauer.

The state of public transit at the time frequently excluded Black riders, said SEPTA’s Culture and Belonging Council President Tamla Ginyard.

“At the time, Philadelphia’s streetcars were segregated, and Black passengers were often denied service or forced off cars,” she said. 

After a law was passed that made it illegal to segregate streetcars throughout Pennsylvania, LeCount continued to hold leaders and conductors accountable. 

“When conductors continued to refuse service to Black riders, she personally ensured that they were fined under the law,” she said. 

LeCount’s work is frequently likened to that of Rosa Parks. But, many officials celebrated her work as a basis for Park’s later work. 

“It has been suggested that Caroline LeCount was the Rosa Parks of her time, but since Caroline came before Rosa, I like to think that Rosa Parks was the Caroline LeCount of her time,” said Marianne McQuaid, a senior designer on Maps & Schedules with SEPTA. 

Not always equal 

LeCount’s work came at a time when Philadelphia did not offer equal opportunities to Black citizens in many realms – particularly transit. 

According to research, in the late 1800s eleven of the nineteen streetcars and rail lines were “refusing to admit Negroes into their cars.” The others “reluctantly allowed” Black citizens to ride, but forced them to ride up front with the conductor. 

One observer wrote that the “worst classes of whites” were still allowed to ride, including those who used swearing, showed intoxication, and smoked on board. However, they said the “rules which exclude all colored passengers were justified” as they “would protect the comfort of passengers.” 

Transit wasn’t the only area where the lack of equal rights was on display. Civil Rights activist Fredrick Douglass recounted a trip to Philadelphia in 1862, saying there is “not another city in which prejudice against color is more rampant than in Philadelphia.” 

LeCount’s advocacy started in schools. As a teacher at Ohio Street School, she made it a priority to stick up for fellow Black educators. 

“Caroline made her voice matter, staunchly defending Black teachers from accusations of inferiority,” McQuaid said. “She pointed out that they were required to receive higher test scores than White teachers to become certified.” 

When LeCount observed the state of transit for Black riders, she saw a new opportunity. 

Leveling the playing field 

When streetcars refused service to Black riders in the early 1860s, LeCount didn’t want to comply. She became an outspoken advocate against these policies. 

“Caroline organized an act of civil disobedience,” McQuaid said. “She organized a group of women to challenge these unjust laws, and they boarded streetcars.” 

Along with her fiancé, Octavius Catto, LeCount advocated and lobbied for equal transit rights at the state level. In 1867, the state passed a new bill banning discrimination on the state’s public transit systems. 

When LeCount later tried to board a streetcar after this law and was denied service, she continued to hold leaders accountable. 

“Caroline attempted to wave down a streetcar to test this, and the white conductor refused to let her board,” she said. “Not one to give up, Caroline tracked down a copy of the law and showed proof of the new law to a police officer who arrested the driver, who was then fined $100.” 

LeCount’s legacy lives on – with the city’s Taney Street being renamed to LeCount Street in 2024, and many comparing LeCount’s work with that of Rosa Parks. 

Ginyard, SEPTA’s Cultural Belonging Council President, said LeCount’s work laid the foundations for stronger, equitable public transit. She said this is important, as it provides equal access to many opportunities. 

“Her work reminds us that transportation is more than just moving people forward,” she said. “It connects individuals to jobs, education and opportunity. Access matters, and so does belonging.”

Those ideas blend into the principles SEPTA uses today, she said, by  using past history to shape the future. 

“We are talking about returning to foundational principles, like respect, integrity, clear communication and trust,” she said.