Delaware Heritage Commission’s Book of the Week Celebrating Black History Month

This week’s Book of the Week is a special partnership with Delaware Historical Society and continues our celebration of Black History Month!

“Forging Faith, Building Freedom
African American Faith Experiences in Delaware, 1800-1980”
– by Constance J. Cooper & Lewis V. Baldwin

You can view and/or download a PDF version of this book here.

SYNOPSIS:
Forging Faith, Building Freedom honors and celebrates the African American faith experience in Delaware and its contributions to the development of African American religion in the United States. Absalom Jones, Richard Allen, Peter Spencer, and Samuel Cornish were champions of religious liberty from Delaware who led in the creation of independent black churches in the United States in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. Based on an exhibition at the Delaware Historical Society and developed in collaboration with the African American community, this book presents a rich and exciting collection of material that documents two centuries of diverse experiences as black Delawareans forged faith and built freedom.

Find out more about the Delaware Heritage Commission here.

Find out more about the Delaware Historical Society here.

Delaware Heritage Commission’s Book of the Week Celebrating Black History Month

Continuing our celebration of Black History Month, the Delaware Heritage Commission is proud to present our Book of the Week:

“A History of African Americans of Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore”
– by Carole C. Marks, Editor

You can view a PDF version of this book here.

SYNOPSIS:
The history of African Americans in Delaware spans almost four hundred years, with the first African slave arriving in New Sweden in 1639. Since then, the African American inhabitants of Delaware and Maryland have endured slavery, war, and the long struggle for freedom and equality. A History of African Americans of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore presents a social, political, and cultural history of African Americans, from the first permanent settlements to the present day.

Find out more about the Delaware Heritage Commission here.

In observance of Black History Month, The Delaware Heritage Commission presents our Book of the Week

In observance of Black History Month, The Delaware Heritage Commission is proud to present our Book of the Week:
African American Education in Delaware: A History Through Photographs 1865-1930 – by Dr. Bradley Skelcher.

You can view a PDF version of this book here.

SYNOPSIS:
At the beginning of the twentieth century, it became apparent that colored schools in Delaware were far from equal to their white counterparts and could not provide the same education to the children in their communities. Though it would take decades to improve the education system for Delaware’s African American community, the tireless efforts of activists, politicians, and concerned citizens made tremendous progress. This book examines the history of African American schools in the First State and the struggle for equality in education. It follows the lives of those who fought, not only to secure an education for their children but to secure hope for a brighter future for generations to come.

Find out more about the Delaware Heritage Commission here.

The Delaware Public Archives unveils the Abraham Shadd Family Historical Marker

The Delaware Public Archives was proud to unveil its newest State of Delaware Historical Marker on Wednesday, February 3, 2022, in Wilmington, Delaware honoring the Abraham Shadd Family.

A cobbler by day and an abolitionist by night, Abraham Shadd lived in Wilmington, Delaware in the early 19th Century with his family. Shadd owned several pieces of property, served in a number of anti-slavery organizations, and actively fought in the abolitionist movement. Following the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, Abraham, his wife Harriet, and their 13 children would move to Canada. His eldest daughter, Mary Ann Shadd Cary, would become the first Black woman newspaper editor in North America, as well as an advocate for the abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements.

More than 90 guests and friends joined with the Honorable John C. Carney, Governor, State of Delaware, who opened the event by proclaiming February as Black History Month; the Honorable Bethany Hall-Long, Lieutenant Governor, State of Delaware; the Honorable S. Elizabeth Lockman, State Senator and State of Delaware Historical Marker sponsor; members of the Delaware Black Caucus; and direct descendants of Abraham Shadd.

Indian Mission School Historical Marker Dedicated

The Delaware Public Archives was proud to join with Nanticoke Indian Tribe Chief Natosha Norwood Carmine, members of the Delaware General Assembly, and more than 125 guests and friends as they unveiled a new Delaware historical marker on Monday, November 15, 2021. The new Indian Mission School historical marker details the school that was founded by the Nanticoke Indian Tribe that established the school in the 1920s, and is located on the Nanticoke Indian Center grounds in Millsboro, Delaware.

Photos from the Dedication: