Mayor Dennis Williams and other city officials hosted the official rededication ceremony at the renovated Peter Spencer Plaza in Wilmington this morning.
The city spent almost a million dollars upgrading the plaza, which was named for the 19th-century African American leader commonly known as the father of the independent black church movement.
Reverend Lawrence Livingston of the Mother African Church in Wilmington was among the dignitaries on hand to speak to the importance of civil rights in Delaware and the country. He says there is still room for progress to be made on civil rights issues.
"I had a wonderful opportunity last evening to hear one of the great civil rights leaders of our time, Mr. Harry Bellafonte [at the University of Delaware]. He has been asked quite often ‘has the civil rights movement come to an end?’. His response has always been that civil rights movement is not a series of fits and starts and restarts, but it’s a movement. And the movement is not dead," said Rev. Livingston.
Mayor Williams agrees, using the dedication ceremony to highlight the need for continued focus on the many issues affecting the black community in Wilmington and elsewhere.
"Black history should not just be talked about in February, it should be talked about all year long," said Williams. "I still see the need for us to attack poverty. I still see the need for us to address civil rights, I still see the need for us to stand up against oppression and when people are being mistreated."
The mayor also joined other city officials in the ceremonial signing of a resolution to reestablish the Wilmington Civil Rights Commission. That body will be tasked with investigating instances of discrimination in the city.