To Bus or Not To Bus: The 1977 School Desegregation of New Castle County, Delaware

The Milford Museum American History Series continues with a program about the 1977 New Castle County desegregation era titled To Bus or Not To Bus: The 1977 School Desegregation of New Castle County, Delaware. Presented by Polytech High School teacher Emily Green, the program will take place on Saturday, May 11, 1:00 p.m. at the Milford Public Library in Milford, Delaware. In 1971 five Wilmington families made the decision to re-open the desegregation case Evans v Buchanan and file suit against the Wilmington School Board. They contended that black children were being compelled to attend segregated schools and that the board was maintaining a dual school system in New Castle County and Wilmington. The court agreed and instituted a program designed to establish a unitary education system, bringing the county back in line with its desegregationist roots. Included in this program was the controversial policy of busing.

Sponsored by the Milford Museum, these monthly programs focus on a variety of topics concerning local, state, and national history. These presentations are held on the second Saturday of each month, at 1:00 p.m., in the Milford Public Library. The library is located at 11 S.E. Front Street in Milford, Delaware. For more information, please contact the Museum at (302) 424-1080, tom@milforddemuseum.org. These programs are offered through a generous grant from The Delaware Heritage Commission.