Editor’s note: The following was sent to Georgetown Town Council members and Mayor Bill West on Aug. 11.
I am writing to express our deep concern and opposition to your July 25, 2022, grant approval in the amount of $24,750 to the Georgetown Historical Society, an entity that owns and operates the Nutter D. Marvel Carriage Museum, a private establishment that flies the Confederate flag on its property.
As I stated during the July 25, 2022, Georgetown Town Council meeting, the Confederate flag is a repulsive symbol of racism, hate, oppression and violence, as it is representative of states who seceded from the United States of America out of their desire to defend the right to maintain an economic system based on human trafficking and slave labor that spanned over 250 years. The NAACP condemns the public display of the Confederate flag and associated emblems and urges all Delawareans to boycott cities, towns and businesses that revere them.
And while the Town Council’s grant approval to the Georgetown Historical Society remains a serious matter of concern, one that we will continue to protest and double down on, we now understand that the grant was approved in violation of town law. A 2007 Georgetown town ordinance requires all grant applications to be submitted by April 1 of each year and evaluated by town officials before being submitted to the Town Council for a vote. However, the council did not comply with this ordinance before its July 25, 2022, approval.
The Georgetown Town Council has an obligation to town residents to adhere to the rules of law and support a culture of humanity and fairness. The first step to living out this obligation is to ensure that these values are evidenced in the council’s practices. We urge you to take immediate action to stop payment on any funds issued to the Georgetown Historical Society, not only because noncompliance to the aforementioned ordinance can lead to costly litigation but also because voting yes to issue public funds to any entity that flies the Confederate flag is un-American, unethical and doesn’t uphold values that support the advancement of a diverse, inclusive and equitable society.
Fleur McKendell
President, Central Delaware NAACP
