Our County, Our Country: The Untold Story of Black DE (In-Person Town Hall)

Attend in-person. Learn the hidden history of African Americans in Delaware at America's 250th birthday. Doors open at 5:30pm.
About this Event

As America marks its 250th anniversary and SDARJ celebrates its first decade, we invite you to discover a history that has too long gone untold: the story of African Americans in Delaware — a story of brilliance, resilience, and community forged in the face of extraordinary odds.

Delaware’s Black history is older, deeper, and more remarkable than most people realize. Did you know that in 1800, nearly half of Lewes’ population was African American — and 30% of them were free? That one of Delaware’s own sons, born in Sussex County, co-founded the first Black-owned newspaper in American history? That Delaware’s courtrooms were where the legal groundwork for Brown v. Board of Education was first laid? These are Delaware stories. And on June 23rd, we will finally tell them.

This special town hall, part of SDARJ’s 10th Anniversary programming, brings together historians, scholars, and community leaders for a powerful panel discussion exploring the full arc of Black life in Delaware: from the free Black communities of colonial Lewes, to the menhaden fishing industry that gave Black workers dignity and economic opportunity during Jim Crow, to the civil rights attorneys who changed the law, to the ongoing struggle for voting rights that continues today.

Confirmed panelists include Marlene Sanders on the history of Black women in Delaware, and Clifton Howell on Black community history in Sussex County, with additional panelists to be announced. The panel will be moderated by Marjorie Burns, editor of SDARJ’s Black Voices magazine, whose landmark Volume 19 — “Our County, Our Country: Black History at America’s 250th Anniversary” — inspired this event.

Refreshments will be provided, including vegan soul food by SDARJ Board Member Tierra Williams. This event is free and open to everyone. Come ready to listen, to learn, and to be moved.

Admission is FREE.

Sign up to volunteer or if you have questions, contact SDARJ at [email protected] or visit sdarj.org

“Delaware’s Black history is older, richer, and more extraordinary than most people realize. As our nation marks its 250th anniversary and SDARJ celebrates ten years of doing this work, there is no better moment to tell this story — fully and honestly — to our community.”

— Joseph Lawson, Executive Director, SDARJ