LEWES, Del.- A panel discussion on the integration of Lewes Public Schools will take place Saturday, Feb. 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lewes Elementary School, hosted by the African American Heritage Commission.
The event will feature five surviving members of the Allen and Daisey families, who were among the first Black students to attend the formerly segregated schools in 1961. It wasn’t until 1966, 12 years after the “Brown vs. Board of Education” decision, that the official end of segregated schools occurred in Lewes, making it one of the last school districts in the state to do so.
At the time, Delaware had implemented a "Jim Crow" law that enforced racial segregation, which was not repealed until 1963. This panel will reflect on their personal experiences as they helped integrate the schools. The event is free and open to the public.