Who We Are
Mission: To expand, include, and elevate the historic and present-day contributions of African Americans through education and engagement.
Vision: To lead the Delaware community in understanding the African American experience.
History: In October 2018, a group of concerned parents and community members met in response to the lack of African American representation in the Delaware City School District curriculum. In addition to African American children seeing themselves in the literature or history they study, it was also important that students from the dominant culture heard voices from other perspectives in order to grow their own thinking. Those perspectives needed to be diverse and empowering as well — as only showing Black suffering or slavery does not begin to break down problematic beliefs about African American people, it normalizes pain and powerlessness. Instead, students coming from positions of power need to see and understand the power and agency of those who have been historically disenfranchised, particularly since society frequently tells them otherwise. This inclusive approach provides a more accurate and nuanced understanding of African American history. Resolved to lead the change, the group founded the Delaware African American Heritage Council to address these gaps while augmenting this education with engaging programs, training, and experiences.
What We Do
Since October 2018, we set out to lead the Delaware community in understanding the African American experience. We’ve done this through: - Developing community-wide trainings on topics including anti-racism, allyship, racial reconciliation and healing. -Launching a city-wide Black History Month program which includes a partnership with Delaware City Schools in which over 150 students have participated to date. -Creating the Sankofa Storytellers, an oral history project to highlight African American life, past and present, in Delaware County. -Establishing the first-ever scholarship program for African American students at Hayes High School in Delaware, Ohio. - Created the Critical Cultural Conversation series to address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging with local leaders, community members and organizations. - Introducing the annual Soul Food Soiree to highlight and celebrate African American culinary traditions.
