Tag: Black History

Restore & Remember: John Bell House

Pack your gardening gloves and lace up your sneakers for a walking tour with First State Heritage Park followed by community cleanup at the John Bell House.

The John Bell House is operated by First State Heritage Park. It includes three historic gardens representing the three main communities who existed in Dover in the 18th century – Indigenous, Enslaved, and English. The three historic gardens utilize heirloom seeds of each community group as well as their unique gardening practices.

During this Restore & Remember event, in addition to helping with the John Bell House site, we will clean up the general Dover Green area that bore witness to the American Revolution, ratification of the constitution, and enslavement.

Attendees will participate in a walking tour with First State Heritage Park interpreters to learn about the history of the Dover Green and the John Bell House site. After learning about the history and the significance of these spaces to Delaware’s Black history, we will use our remaining time to do gardening upkeep and trash pickup.

Free event. Registration required: https://dhs.givecloud.co/restore-remember-john-bell-house

Who Raised You? Community Open Mic Night

As the closing event of Black Storytelling Week, we invite community members, Wilmington Black Storytelling Residency alumni, and invited guests to take the mic and share the impactful, funny, emotional, and relatable personal stories that shaped their lives. 

Black Storytelling Week is an annual holiday for passing down family history. Each year, during the second week of September, we encourage every Black family to spend one hour sharing their family history. The purpose of the holiday is to rebuild a culture of sharing stories and history across generations – and in doing so, inspire connection and healing within Black families across the world.

Before books, films, and podcasts, our culture and history were passed down through oral tradition. From stories, and music, to recipes and remedies for wellness and survival, the spoken word was a format we revered and held sacred. This holiday reimagines oral tradition as a means to preserve our cultures, reclaim how we teach them, and ensure they live on for years to come.

Tickets $10. Purchase tickets: https://dhs.givecloud.co/who-raised-you

Stories in Focus: A Photo-Telling Workshop

Join the Delaware Historical Society on September 14 at 6 p.m. for Stories in Focus: A Photo-Telling Workshop, part of Black Storytelling Week. Learn from historians and storytellers how photos and materials from family history collections can be used to weave stories that can be passed on to future generations.

Black Storytelling Week is an annual holiday for passing down family history. Each year, during the second week of September, we encourage every Black family to spend one hour sharing their family history. The purpose of the holiday is to rebuild a culture of sharing stories and history across generations – and in doing so, inspire connection and healing within Black families across the world.

Tickets $15. Purchase here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/stories-in-focus

These Houses Were Homes: 5 Generations of Black Community in Old New Castle

Join us for an immersive learning experience as we walk through Old New Castle and discuss the history and culture of generations of Black families who lived and worked there.

The 2026 tours expand upon Dr. Melissa Benbow Flowers’ research at the Read House on the African American population of Old New Castle with additional source materials, a revamped route and accompanying map, and a special focus on the time period from 1776-1876.

Tickets $25. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/these-houses-were-homes-2026

Space is limited, and advance registration is required. To enhance the enjoyment of all participants, we kindly request that walking tour registrants be at least 12 years old. Please note that the historic neighborhoods in Old New Castle feature uneven walkways that may not be suitable for those needing mobility assistance.

These Houses Were Homes: 5 Generations of Black Community in Old New Castle

Join us for an immersive learning experience as we walk through Old New Castle and discuss the history and culture of generations of Black families who lived and worked there.

The 2026 tours expand upon Dr. Melissa Benbow Flowers’ research at the Read House on the African American population of Old New Castle with additional source materials, a revamped route and accompanying map, and a special focus on the time period from 1776-1876.

Tickets $25. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/these-houses-were-homes-2026

Space is limited, and advance registration is required. To enhance the enjoyment of all participants, we kindly request that walking tour registrants be at least 12 years old. Please note that the historic neighborhoods in Old New Castle feature uneven walkways that may not be suitable for those needing mobility assistance.

These Houses Were Homes: 5 Generations of Black Community in Old New Castle

Join us for an immersive learning experience as we walk through Old New Castle and discuss the history and culture of generations of Black families who lived and worked there.

The 2026 tours expand upon Dr. Melissa Benbow Flowers’ research at the Read House on the African American population of Old New Castle with additional source materials, a revamped route and accompanying map, and a special focus on the time period from 1776-1876.

Tickets $25. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/these-houses-were-homes-2026

Space is limited, and advance registration is required. To enhance the enjoyment of all participants, we kindly request that walking tour registrants be at least 12 years old. Please note that the historic neighborhoods in Old New Castle feature uneven walkways that may not be suitable for those needing mobility assistance.

These Houses Were Homes: 5 Generations of Black Community in Old New Castle

Join us for an immersive learning experience as we walk through Old New Castle and discuss the history and culture of generations of Black families who lived and worked there.

The 2026 tours expand upon Dr. Melissa Benbow Flowers’ research at the Read House on the African American population of Old New Castle with additional source materials, a revamped route and accompanying map, and a special focus on the time period from 1776-1876.

Tickets $25. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/these-houses-were-homes-2026

Space is limited, and advance registration is required. To enhance the enjoyment of all participants, we kindly request that walking tour registrants be at least 12 years old. Please note that the historic neighborhoods in Old New Castle feature uneven walkways that may not be suitable for those needing mobility assistance.

These Houses Were Homes: 5 Generations of Black Community in Old New Castle

Join us for an immersive learning experience as we walk through Old New Castle and discuss the history and culture of generations of Black families who lived and worked there.

The 2026 tours expand upon Dr. Melissa Benbow Flowers’ research at the Read House on the African American population of Old New Castle with additional source materials, a revamped route and accompanying map, and a special focus on the time period from 1776-1876.

Tickets $25. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/these-houses-were-homes-2026

Space is limited, and advance registration is required. To enhance the enjoyment of all participants, we kindly request that walking tour registrants be at least 12 years old. Please note that the historic neighborhoods in Old New Castle feature uneven walkways that may not be suitable for those needing mobility assistance.

Restore & Remember: Jason Beach

Bring your memories and memorabilia for a family history workshop highlighting experiences and memories from Jason Beach, as part of the Jason Beach Juneteenth Celebration.

At this event, participants are invited to bring materials from their personal collections that document holidays, family reunions, baptism, and leisure activities at the beach. Photographs and scrapbooks, letters or other paper materials referencing Jason Beach, swimsuits or other clothing like family reunion shirts, games and accessories (i.e. horseshoes, etc.), and cookware items are all welcome.

Experts from cultural heritage organizations, universities, and local history networks will be in the pavilion to help document and catalog these items and their historical meaning to pass on to future generations. While we would take great joy in seeing materials of all sizes, we recommend participants bring items that would fit into an extra-large tote bag.

Event is free with park entrance fee ($5 in state vehicles, $10 out of state vehicles). Pre-registration is requested to ensure appropriate staffing.
Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/restore-remember-jason-beach

 

The Delaware Historical Society’s Restore & Remember: Historic R&R series engages community members to get involved at important sites within Delaware’s Black community while discussing and learning about the history of each place and the people who used it.

A Legacy 75 Years in the Making
For 75 years, Delaware State Parks has been the backdrop for outdoor adventures and lasting memories. Since 1951, the mission has remained constant: to provide safe, enjoyable recreation, protect natural and cultural resources, and connect people to nature. Today, 17 parks and more than 27,000 acres stand ready to inspire generations to come.

From the Vault: Black Americans of Achievement

Celebrate Black History Month with a rare look at a piece of cultural legacy from the treasures in the Delaware Historical Society collection. Join us for an object deep dive into the “Black Americans of Achievement” board game. This game is based on a series of books on Black American Achievement created in consultation with the W.E.B DuBois Institute of Afro-American Research at Harvard University.

“Black Americans of Achievement” board game is a gift from Dr. James & LaWanda Newton. Dr. Newton was a professor at the University of Delaware and the founder of the Black American Studies department, now known as the Africana Studies department.

Tickets $10. Free for members. Reserve tickets here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/vault-black-americans-of-achievement