Brightside: Lewes African- American Heritage Commission

LEWES, Del. – History is an important aspect of society and sometimes local contributions can be lost if not properly documented. On this week’s edition of the Brightside brought to you in part by Choptank Electric, the Lewes African American Heritage Commission shows us how they’re preserving history.

Established in January 2020, the Lewes African American Heritage Commission preserves the historical contributions made by the African American Community.

Former Vice Chair Reverend Dr. Deborah Mccaffity says inclusivity is important. “Our hope is that as we uncover history, that people will come to a greater understanding.”

She goes on to say, “Even though we struggle and we’ve been so resilient, we are still willing to make contributions to society, and as you know, we’ve been contributors to society forever, as scientists, doctors, historians, inventors. And we just want that to be known.”

George H.P. Smith, who served as mayor in Lewes, is someone Dr. McCaffity says is worth knowing about. “He was the only Black Mayor that Lewes has had. In fact, his wife lives right across the street. But this statue, and this plaque is in honor of him, and this park was named after him.”

She says this is how the commission turns tragedies into triumphs. “What is now called Savannah Beach, is the white side where the white people had access, and the other side was the colored beach. And at the colored beach, we thank God that the Commission got them to rename that beach to Johnny Walker Beach he was an entrepreneur, Black entrepreneur who had a pavilion at the beach.”

Commission Secretary Falan Hylton says they use elders’ experiences as encyclopedias. “The Commission is important to the community, just to keep the legacy… So, I was born and raised here, I do know a lot of the history of the area, and I enjoy what I do because I’m able to bring that to the commission.”

Dr. McCaffity says her prayer is that the community can begin to look at the bright side of history. “People are really uninformed about what’s happening. And both sides, blacks and whites, are about our struggle, and some believe that the struggle is over. But the struggle continues, and the importance of sharing the information is to kind of get people to unite and come into unity.”

The Lewes African American Heritage Commission is always looking for volunteers. Check out their website for more details.