Tag: Mitchell Center for African American Heritage

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

Independence in Action!

A day full of adventure, discovery, and revolutionary spirit! No matter your age, experience history during this family-friendly celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of Declaration of Independence.  

Start the afternoon at Old Town Hall with Delaware Shakespeare performing “Embers of Freedom: Independence through the Eyes of Many,” an expansive, performative reading of the Declaration of Independence that weaves in writings from voices that were underrepresented in the original creation of the Declaration.

Following the performance, join us for family-friendly, hands-on activities throughout our Wilmington campus.

  • Make paper and ink from scratch — Try crafting the same materials the Founders used to write and share their boldest ideas.
  • Write like a Revolutionary — Pick up a quill and see if you have what it takes to draft history.
  • Escape Old Town Hall and sign the Declaration — Can you break free and add your name to the most famous document in American history?
  • Revolutionary Espionage — Test your wits in a mission inspired by the secret world of colonial spies.
  • Uncover Revolutionary Artifacts — Go behind the scenes with the Delaware Historical Society to explore revolutionary-era documents from our collections.
  • Learn to protect your family’s treasures — Bring your own family artifacts to the Delaware Historical Society to learn preservation tips and receive assistance scanning them so they can be safely preserved in digital form.

The event is free. Registration is required for the Delaware Shakespeare performance in Old Town Hall at 12 p.m. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/july3

In Conversation: Caribbean Heritage

The Delaware Historical Society is excited to host In Conversation: Caribbean Heritage on Saturday, June 6 from 3-4 p.m. This discussion will explore the relationship between the United States and the Caribbean, what Caribbean heritage means to our panelists, and how Caribbean history and culture has influenced Delaware’s Black history.

Our In Conversation series is a panel discussion featuring community leaders, officials, and scholars. This program is intended to bring community members and stakeholders together to share ideas and facilitate a conversations about issues relevant to Delawareans.

Tickets $5 or Free for Delaware Historical Society members. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/caribbean-heritage

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.

Uncover the Past: Transcribing Delaware History

Uncover the past as you help transcribe Delaware history at this community event with Route 9 Library!

This program series, with four dates throughout 2026, gets people involved in transcribing materials from the Delaware Historical Society’s collections. At each program, attendees will get hands-on with local history as they transcribe 2-3 handwritten documents, creating transcriptions that are more readable and accessible for inclusion in our online collection records.

These transcribathons will be hosted at the Route 9 Library in New Castle County from 1-3 p.m. on August 8th and October 31st. Our first two transcribathons sold out — be sure to save your spot today!

Free event. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/transcribing-de-history