Black History Month: Students of the 1961-1963 Lewes Public School Integration share their story

LEWES, De. – Brown v Board of Education was a turning point in America’s academic history, as it was the first time the United States government ruled separate but equal, wasn’t equal at all. However, before that was the law of the land, there were some little ones in Lewes, Delaware whose parents dared to challenge the status quo, landing them a seat in history.

Bridges created a Bridge

Ruby Bridges was the first black child to integrate into a white-only school in the 1960s. Just a year later on Delmarva, 4 parents and 8 children would change their communities and make history.

John F. Kennedy once said, “Americans are free, in short, to disagree with the law, but not to disobey it.” In 1961, Black people were allowed on a voluntary basis to attend what was known as the “White-Only” school in Lewes. The Allen and Daisey families were fed up with their children walking miles every day to access education.

Sarah Daisey

So, in 1962, 6-year-old Sarah Daisey was enrolled in first grade at the school. Looking back, the 69-year-old who is now a Judge says it took time for the community to adjust to black and white children in the school. “The Black school didn’t have a kindergarten, so this was my first opportunity to go to school and I was just excited about going. Our parents tried to prepare us before we came to this school to make sure that when we go there nobody would question whether or not we were smart enough to be here.”

Deborah Daisey

Unfortunately, her then-five-year-old sister Deborah Daisey did not have the same experience as a kindergartener facing extreme racism. The now 67-year-old is a retired Social Worker and Mental Health Therapist, and says it was those traumatizing experiences that inspired her life’s work.

“I remember all the kids calling me the n- word, I remember my teacher constantly cracking my hand with a ruler… As a therapist I now know the name, my temperature would go up 103 degrees and I would be sent home. And the term for that is psychogenetic response. It was basically due to the stress and the trauma. My experience was horrendous.”

James Allen 

Meanwhile, James “Jimmy” Allen was excited to be able to walk to school as he integrated the 1st grade. Allen who is now 68 years old, says he’s lived a full life, even becoming a 1979 Boston Celtics draft pick. Today, he hopes children appreciate all they have access to.

“Some of the students helped us get through it. They had a lot of good white kids, that were good… They held us back, all coming from the Black Schools held us back one year so, but that was the most traumatic thing that happened to us.”

Wendy Allen

During their tenure, the children were often subjected to derogatory names and at times, assault. As an 11-year-old 5th grader, Wendy Allen says she didn’t “take no stuff” back then. The now 74-year-old Paralegal reflects on the racism she faced and can even smile about it now.

“Not a bad experience, had a nice teacher… One day some little lady got in my face and called me out of my name, and I automatically slapped her face very hard, after that I could see a big difference in Miss Herbert.”

Gloria Allen 

Gloria Allen was a 17-year-old high school junior when her parents said it was time to integrate. She said it was clear she was wanted there, and the truth is she didn’t want to be there. She left all the friends she’d grown up with, plus she says growing up she was a bit shy, so attending a different school was a bit challenging for her.

Despite it all, in 1963, she became the first back student to graduate from Lewes High School. The 79-year-old Delaware State University Grad says the first day she walked through those doors, she changed history.

“By me being older when knew what had taken place in some of the southern states, so we didn’t know what to expect… On the first day of school, I felt odd, I was the odd ball, because I was the only one. And people looked at me you know. Back then times are a little different than they are now. Once I got to my homeroom, my homeroom teacher made me feel much better. He welcomed me.”

Education on Intergration

And today, the families educate the community by sharing stories to inspire others and show that things are better, when you work together. The Lewes African American Heritage Commission is responsible for digging up this information to be shared with the public, so be sure to check out the web article work they do for the community.