by Colonial School District | Feb 9, 2021 | Black History Month
Littleton Mitchell of Delaware City was a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. He was best known as the 30-year outspoken president of the state NAACP (1961-1991) and he established a reputation as a ferocious fighter for civil rights in Delaware,...
by Colonial School District | Feb 7, 2021 | Black History Month
Charles “Chuck” Griffin was Delaware’s first Black police Chief. In 1971 he was hired to lead the police force in Delaware City. At the time, the position was part-time, 8 p.m.-4 a.m. weekdays and 4 p.m. to midnight on weekends. News accounts show he put in 40-50...
by Colonial School District | Feb 7, 2021 | Black History Month
Tony Allen, a graduate of William Penn High School, is presently the President of Delaware State University. Allen, a former speechwriter for President Joe Biden, also served as head of the Commander in Chief’s Inaugural Committee. In other positions of leadership,...
by Colonial School District | Feb 3, 2021 | Black History Month
Located off of Route 9 on Buttonwood Avenue in New Castle, the Buttonwood Colored School first opened in 1919 during the nation’s period of segregation to serve the needs of “colored” students growing up in the historically Black suburban neighborhood. The...
by Colonial School District | Feb 3, 2021 | Black History Month
This African American community was located in Delaware City near the foot of the Reedy Point Bridge. Polktown was one of the earliest free black settlements in Delaware. It included a church, school, and many residences. Polktown land ownership was controlled by...
by Colonial School District | Feb 3, 2021 | Black History Month
Located in Delaware City along the Mike Castle Trail, a half-acre of land was purchased by five trustees of the African Union Church in 1835 for $80 where a church, now razed, was built with only the cemetery remaining. The church and cemetery served residents of...
