Mayor Mike Purzycki recently announced Wilmington transferred ownership of five properties located on the city’s East Side to the African American Heritage Center of Delaware.
They include two historic buildings that once belonged to the New Castle Leather Company and Allied Kid Company and 3 lots.
Purzycki says transforming these properties will be a heavy lift, but he thinks it has tremendous potential.
“If the African American Heritage Center folks are successful we’re going to have a real beacon on this side of town. And I think it will be a very worthwhile effort for all of us to see this property reach its potential,” said Purzycki. “It could be something really beautiful. So we’re looking forward to cooperating with them in every way imaginable, and wish them well and hope they find success.”
The African American Heritage Center is a relatively new non-profit in Wilmington. Their purpose is to provide educational and cultural programming focused on the Black experience in Delaware.
“We hope to focus on helping young people and adult groups to know more about the people who played a role in making Delaware what it is today, and how the Black community has contributed to the growth and development of our state,” said Former Wilmington Mayor James Sills, who sits on the group’s board.
"It's a big undertaking. We don't expect we're going to do this overnight."James Sills, Former Wilmington Mayor
Sills adds there are many programs in the state that celebrate Black history, and accomplishments of the Black community, but their reach is limited.
The Center’s goal is to make their organization a hub of culture, history, and experience on the East Side, working for and with the community to grow.
Gary Hutt, Vice President of the African American Heritage Center, says they spent the past year developing their strategic plan.
“Sometimes that kind of work can be a little bit tedious, and it's not glamorous, but it's essential in order for us to be able to provide effective programming,” said Hutt. “And what that strategic plan calls for us to do is to develop impactful, evidence based programming with a strong community engagement component. So in developing this program, we think it needs to grow organically. And it starts with us having a strong idea about what we want to provide, but also making sure that we have support from the community at large.”
The Center will have a particular focus on reaching teenagers, who Sills says rarely get the attention they deserve in terms of educational programming.
“We think young people are a special group, often neglected in our community. Young people, all young people, are experiencing a struggle to find self identity, and are looking for ways that they can be more secure and have an understanding of what their purpose is in life,” said Sills. “And we think young people don't get enough attention as far as understanding history and culturally what it is that Black folks have done to advance the development in our community.”
Sills says he hopes teaching young people about their history will motivate them to work hard in school and take on leadership roles in the community.
But while the Center sees this as a responsibility, it will also be a major challenge. Reaching young people who aren’t involved in any other programs in existing agencies may require more creativity.
“It's a big undertaking. We don't expect we're going to do this overnight,” Sills explained. “We're going to need to work closely with adult groups. We need to work closely with governmental agencies in trying to have more effective relationships and ties with young people. We hope to have workers that go out into the community to work with young people and urge them to come into buildings to take advantage of our programs.”
Purzycki says transforming these properties will be a heavy lift, but he thinks it has tremendous potential.
“If the African American Heritage Center folks are successful we’re going to have a real beacon on this side of town. And I think it will be a very worthwhile effort for all of us to see this property reach its potential,” said Purzycki. “It could be something really beautiful. So we’re looking forward to cooperating with them in every way imaginable, and wish them well and hope they find success.”
