THEWIRE

By Derek Street

 

Delaware Tech honored the importance of black history month with a kickoff celebration in the dining hall on Monday, February 3. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the civil rights act and the luncheon was held to encourage students to learn more about African American history in their own community.

 

The event began with an introduction from Vice President and Campus Director of the Owens Campus Dr. Ileana Smith discussing the importance of honoring the college’s roots and the history of what is now known as the Jason Technology Center. Delaware Tech’s origins began as the segregated William C. Jason High School, which provided young African Americans a high school education. It is important not only for students to know the history of the buildings they occupy on campus every day, but the very real trials many African American students had to overcome just to get an education in their own community. 

 

“One of the most important things we do in life is really honoring our roots,” Dr. Smith said. “Learning the differences in people as well as learning about cultures provides us with an appreciation for what came before. In that way we can really begin to live more fully and really begin to be the wonderful country we are by understanding our history.”  

 

The main attraction of the luncheon was for students at the college to learn about Orlando Camp, an influential figure within the black community, speak about his life experience. Camp was part of the Milford 11, one of the first groups of students integrating into desegregated school systems in Delaware.  The 11 refers to the number of African American seniors graduating from Benjamin Banneker Elementary School in 1954. These 11 students would be integrated into a school consisting of over 668 white students. While this process only lasted 28 days, its impact among the African American community would be felt long after its initial inception.  Camp went on to co-write a book with Ed Kee titled, “The Milford Eleven”, discussing his life and the trials he overcame in his era.  

 

 “It was never about integration, it was about opportunity, and that’s what I wrote the book about to demonstrate what I and the 11 students went through in 1954,” Camp said in a 2012 interview.

 

For the Milford 11, simply the opportunity to receive an equal education was a major asset for African Americans looking to get ahead within the workforce.  Camp said basic curriculums today, such as algebra, were among some of the divides between a white and a black education. The experience and quality of education African Americans would receive from a white school would be a benefit to them later on in life. This fact fueled the group during the next four weeks of their time in the integrated Milford School System.  During this twenty eight day period, Camp and his fellow students faced a divided community of supporters and oppositionists to integration. He described trials such as lawyers being hired to oppose integration, crosses being burned on lawns and police escorts within the school building as some of the many oppositions the students faced.

 

Camp said many of the Milford 11 felt that those twenty eight days would define them for the rest of their lives but Camp said he did not let this incident deter him in his future endeavors. After graduating William Henry High School, Camp went on to gain success in many areas of his life. After being drafted in the army, he was voted outstanding soldier of the year in 1963.  Camp then went on to be successful in marketing after graduating Delaware County Community College and Temple University. His experience and education allowed him to seize high level positions like Economic Marketing Leader for the State of Delaware. Overall Camp said he used his book to give his fellow 11 students a voice, where many other media outlets may have told only a part of the story. 

 

 While camp could not attend on Monday due to weather problems in Newark, several guest speakers read excerpts from his book. Many of these speakers were former Jason alumni, as were many others in the crowd. Member of Owens Campus Development Council, Estelle Parker Selby, spoke about the objectives the committee wished to convey to students.  Selby, who is an alumna of William C. Jason High School Class of 1965, said the importance of the day’s celebration was to spread cultural awareness, recognize local African American and contributions to history, while honoring and appreciating the achievements of African Americans throughout history. She went on to apologize for Camp’s absence before introducing the speakers who read excerpts from camp’s book. 

 

Jamie Miller, another alumna of Jason, was the first speaker. She read an early excerpt from Camp’s book describing his early life of living in Philadelphia before his family relocated to Milford, Delaware.  The excerpt discussed Camp’s family and the values instilled within him from his grandfather. Camp’s grandfather imbued within him the importance of an education and race relations. Miller went on to outline the highlights of camp’s life, discussing the failed integration attempt, the dissolution of the Milford 11 and Camp’s success beyond school. 

 

Jackie Goodwin spoke next, reading excerpts of an interview camp conducted with Delaware State News. Goodwin discussed Camp’s bewilderment at the time and gravity of what the group was trying to accomplish. She conveyed that the Milford 11 went into the process only to gain an education not to start a political statement. 

 

“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish,” Goodwin said reading the excerpt. She then talked about Camp’s later life and more recent accomplishments, providing the audience an example of his invitation to the first inauguration of President Barrack Obama.

 

The presentation concluded with Estelle Parker Selby providing the audience with closing remarks about the Milford 11 and the contributions from the African American inventors. Selby thanked the committee consisting of herself and Denise Berry, Co-Chair/Academic Counselor; Laura Gagnon, SGA Vice President; Denise Gooch, Corporate and Community Programs; Jackie Goodwin, Jason Alumnae; Clem Jordan, Jason Alumna; Charles Laws Jason, Alumna; Howard Smack, Jason Alumna; Jamie Miller, Jason Alumni Association President; Velma Norwood, Nursing Instructor; and Melissa Rakes, Dean of Student Services. 

 

Selby ended the presentation by saying, “Let us all know that without each other, no matter what race we are or what we look like, nothing would be possible, it’s how we keep our country strong. Many things happened in this country that are very ugly from slavery on up, but we have made it on the backs of those before us.” Selby said, “You cannot move forward without knowing where you’ve been.”