CATO founders joined by local officials for weekend Reading Remembrance Tour
November 9, 2021
The Daily Times Chronicle
Joanne Senders
CATO - The Coalition of Us organized the Reading Remembrance Tour, educating school and local officials, including School Superintendent Dr. Thomas Milaschewski, State Senator Jason Lewis, and Select Board members, about the lives and locations of Black and enslaved residents of Colonial-era Reading. Led by educators Megan Howie and Kara Gleason, the tour visited significant locations, such as the Reading Public Library, town Common, and Laurel Hill Cemetery, to share the history of slavery in Reading and Massachusetts. The tour aimed to personalize the historical context by highlighting stories of enslaved individuals like Cato Eaton, who inspired CATO’s name, and Sharper Freeman, buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery.
CATO, founded by Philmore Phillip II, a Reading Memorial High School alumnus and former METCO program graduate, seeks to address racial issues and promote equity in Reading. Phillip emphasized the need for collective effort among school staff to bring about positive change and urged decision-makers to work together. The tour, designed to educate school staff about the town’s history, received praise from Senator Lewis, who believed it could serve as a model for other communities. CATO plans to offer the tour to the general public in the spring.
