Community Partner Committee

The Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice (SDARJ) and the John Dickinson Plantation (JDP) are working together to ensure that Delaware’s history is told fully, accurately, and inclusively. Through the national Addressing the Silences initiative, our partnership amplifies the stories of enslaved, free, and indentured Black individuals whose experiences have been historically overlooked. This work strengthens public understanding while advancing equity, truth‑telling, and community engagement.

Our Mission

SDARJ is dedicated to confronting systemic racism through education, advocacy, and policy support in Southern Delaware. Our partnership with JDP extends this mission into public history—elevating voices long excluded from the telling of Delaware’s past and promoting racial justice through honest, inclusive narrative change.

Our Shared Goals

1. Amplify Silenced Histories
   We work with JDP to ensure that the stories of enslaved, free, and indentured Black individuals are represented accurately, respectfully, and in depth across exhibits, programs, and interpretive materials.
2. Build Reciprocal Community Relationships
   The partnership prioritizes ongoing dialogue, trust‑building, and authentic engagement between the museum, SDARJ, and the broader community. This includes public meetings, school visit collaborations, and shared learning experiences.
3. Support Institutional Change
   SDARJ and JDP collaborate to identify internal and external museum practices that exclude community voices and co‑create systems‑level solutions—such as processes that support community‑led program proposals.
4. Promote Inclusive Public Educations
   We support forums, town halls, collaborative interpretation, and audio‑narrative projects that help the public understand the lived experiences of those who labored at the plantation—and the legacy those histories carry today.

Our Activities

Community‑Centered Public Events

SDARJ and JDP co‑host significant community forums—including the July 25 meeting and the September 18 Town Hall—to share progress, gather input, and deepen engagement with diverse audiences.

Inclusive Storytelling Projects

We co‑create audio narratives grounded in oral histories, archival evidence, and community contributions, helping visitors form deeper connections with the lives and experiences of those who lived and labored on the plantation.

Reflective Internal & External Change Work

We collaborate with JDP to examine institutional practices and implement changes that support more inclusive, community‑centered interpretation—guided by the national Addressing the Silences initiative.

Hands‑On Community Engagement

Committee members participate in school visits, learning experiences, and partner events to deepen understanding and strengthen collaborative relationships.

The SDARJ Community Partner Committee is open to new members who are passionate about racial justice, historical truth‑telling, and community engagement.

By joining the committee, you can:

• Help shape community‑driven museum programs
• Support accurate and inclusive storytelling and interpretation
• Participate in forums, school visits, and collaborative research
• Strengthen community relationships and historical understanding
• Contribute to the movement to end racial injustice in Delaware

If you feel called to this work, we invite you to join us. Your voice, your perspective, and your commitment can help ensure that the stories long kept silent are finally heard. Together, we can continue building a more accurate, honest, and inclusive narrative of Delaware’s past.