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, which included the areas of housing, public accommodations, education, and voting rights. Mitchell died tragically in a car accident near the then Valero Refinery in 2009. Then-Vice President Joe Biden said of his passing, “Lit Mitchell was a man of incredible strength and courage; he was a hero to many, including me. A man who overcame so much to fight for his country in countless ways – serving as a Tuskegee Airman in World War II, leading the civil rights movement in Delaware, and helping integrate schools nationwide – Lit was a remarkable force.”
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WE Celebrate: Polktown
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...
We Honor: African Union Church Cemetery
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...
We Celebrate – Eugene Petty
Eugene Petty, a resident of Buttonwood, became the first African American Police Chief for the city of New Castle in 1975. In 1963 Petty began his career with the city as a part-time officer with the New Castle City Police (NCCPD), becoming a full-time officer in...