Sussex Progressive Community to hold forum Feb. 9

The Sussex Progressive Community will hold a dinner meeting Sunday, Feb. 9, at Fish On restaurant in the Villages of Five Points. Dinner is at 5 p.m., with meeting to follow.

A panel will discuss the experiences of individuals and groups involved in the human and civil rights experiences in Delaware.

Robin Krawitz, director of the Historic Preservation Graduate Program at Delaware State University and current president of the Underground Railroad Coalition of Delaware, will moderate the forum. Panel members include Orlando Camp, Sharon Kanter and Jim Blackwell.

Camp, co-author of “The Milford Eleven,” was one of 11 African-American students who tried to attend Milford High School in the fall of 1954 following the May 17, 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision to outlaw segregation in public schools. He and the other 10 students were forced to leave after one month.

Kanter, the former superintendent of Milford School District, awarded honorary diplomas to the Milford Eleven in 2012 because she believed they “were wrongfully denied this rite of passage 58 years ago.”

Blackwell of the Seaford Historical Society has done extensive research on the Underground Railroad in Sussex County, including Harriet Tubman’s link to Seaford. He has led the efforts to erect a monument to Harriet Tubman in Seaford.

Fish On Restaurant is on Route 9 in the Villages of Five Points just east of Route One. There is ample free parking and a private dining room. Attendees may choose from the complete menu, including a Sunday night special of three courses for $19.

The Sussex Progressive Community, a non-partisan group, provides a forum for civil and open discussion and welcomes all progressives. Reservations are required. Contact Joanne Cabry at 302-226-5019 or sussexprogressives@gmail.com.