Local historians discuss importance of acknowledging historical contributions by African- Americans on Delmarva
Hidden History
DELMARVA – Historians say much of that Black history is hidden on Delmarva. While African Americans have made many contributions to this country, many times those advancements can often be overlooked.
“The History of Americans of African descent has suffered from benign neglect and been ignored or distorted until it is nearly invisible.” That quote comes from author and historian Dr. Clara Small who believes sharing the contributions African Americans have made on the Delmarva Peninsula, will inspire future generations.
Salisbury University Emerita Professor of History Dr. Clara Small says she wrote her first book when a white student said Blacks haven’t done anything for this country. “It’s as if they don’t want to share the history and to give credit where credit is due, it’s works on the psyche of young people, not just Blacks but whites as well when they are not taught this… It does present a problem for young people to think. ‘we’ll we’ve never done anything. So, why should we do our best? Why should we study? Why should we become leaders in the community? We’ve done nothing in the past.’ so they don’t know, and it’s my contingent that once they know, they will want to improve their communities.”
Delaware State University’s historian Carlos Holmes says their campus was involved in change on Delmarva and isn’t always recognized for their contributions. “The educational presence of Delaware State University through the years has been very important. We’ve had a high school here. We had a high school here from the 1920’s to 1952, it was only the second high school in the state for Blacks… We need to continue to preserve this history because this is our history, okay, this is from whence we came.”
Holmes used Louis Redding as an example as the first black attorney in the state of Delaware. “We had some students that tried to enroll in the University of Delaware. Louis Redding took their case, and he won their case in Chancery Court, making that case the first time in the country that a court ruled at an undergraduate institution of higher education had to enroll some Blacks…This state has a history, and it’s been a better history where race relations are concerned, but it wasn’t always like this, and it’s important to know that history, it’s important to be very transparent and honest about that history.”
Dr. Small says Delmarva is overlooked in the country in terms of history. “This is one of the richest areas in the country in terms of history and we’re talking about continuous history from the early 17th century. And so, if you don’t write about it, and you deny it, you’re denying a part of American history, because African American History is American History.”
Compass Point: Profiles and Biographies of African Americans from the Delmarva Peninsula, Volume IV is Dr. Small’s latest book. It documents over 70 African Americans who have made positive contributions along the Eastern Shore. She says you can’t find this history, in Maryland school books, and she’s trying to change that. The Book Signing will be this Saturday, at New Bethel United Methodist Church in Berlin, Maryland. The signing will be held from 10 to 2, books are $30.
