LEWES, Del - Thursday night, the Lewes African American Heritage Commission hosted a virtual webinar discussing the group's latest efforts to continue highlighting the stories of the African American experience in the town.
Opening the meeting, secretary Trina Brown-Hicks gave the commissions response to the death of George Floyd and nationwide calls for an end to systemic racism. "The Lewes African American Heritage Commission vehemently opposes all forms of racism including Police Brutality and Abuse," said Brown-Hicks. She continued stating "we stand in total solidarity with the voices of the nation that are proclaiming and crying out that Black Lives Matter.
A point of pride celebrated at the meeting was a completion of a project the commission spearheaded at the start of the year. As of Thursday, all of the street signs along W. 4th Street no carry the honorary marker of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Way.
Now, the LAAHC is setting its sights on installing additional markers throughout Lewes to give a more comprehensive look at the history of African Americans in the town. Partnering with the Lewes Historical Society, the commission is also looking for help from community members to carry out additional research.
Members noted that community support is essential for carrying out their endeavors as giving an accurate historical representation will require extensive research and thorough curation of artifacts. In this process, Brown-Hicks commented that there are a number of resources right within the community that could be of great value, “some oral histories, some pictures, some obituaries if necessary, or whatever is required to obtain some of this history”.
Information on how to become involved is still to come on the Lewes African American Heritage Commission's page on the City of Lewes' website.