Catherine “Katy” Ferguson, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
On Tuesday, Community Board 7 voted unanimously to proceed with a motion to name the southwest corner of 95th and Central Park West in honor of Catherine “Katy” Ferguson (1779-1854), a former slave who started what was considered the first Sunday School in America, located down on Murray Street. This would be a secondary name and would only impact the southwest corner of the street.
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The proposal was put forth by the Alexander Robertson School (3 West 95th Street) and the Second Presbyterian Church (6 West 96th Street). The school was formed by the church, where Catherine was also the first Black congregant.
Thia Reggio, the Reverend of Second Presbyterian Church, said that lifting her up is pivotal because “like many enslaved persons,” her history was obscured by white members of the church and having her name in a public place is really important.
READ MORE: UWS Streets Named After Famous People
Derrick McQueen, the pastor of the oldest continuously worshiping African-American church in the city, St. James Presbyterian in Harlem, said that “she never learned to read” but the scriptures her mother taught her led to her understanding of liberation and “inspired her to want to raise up children” so they could find the same kind of peace and joy that she found. McQueen called the fact that she started a Sunday School “really powerful because that was the only place where African-American women could shine in terms of education.”
Keyarrah Bell-Flynn of the Alexander Robertson School said that W.E.B. Du Bois called her one of the most notable African American women in the country, and said that the school is preparing to publish a seven-page local history about her.
Brinton Parson, the Academic Dean of the Alexander Robertson School, said that “in six-months time there will be a QR code on the street” to provide more information about her.
The motion will go before the full board meeting on June 20.
Love it.
Thank you, Catherine Ferguson! You deserved so much more than this in life.