Historical society to hear Orlando Camp recount story of Milford Eleven

1954: Charles S. Mahoney became the first black to be a full-time member of the United States delegation to the United Nations. Marian Anderson sang at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Willie Mays hit .345, led the New York Giants to a World Series victory, and was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player. A young black preacher from Atlanta, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., accepted the call at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.

Another milestone for African-Americans in 1954 was Brown vs. Board of Education case which declared the Separate but Equal practice of racial segregation in schools unconstitutional. Closer to home, 60 years ago this month, 11 teenagers made Delaware history by enrolling in all-white Milford High School.

One of those teenagers, Orlando Camp, will tell the story of that landmark effort at The Lewes Historical Society’s Sept. 19 program when he presents “The Milford Eleven,” his personal account of the struggles of 11 African-American children who were denied the educations they deserved and to which as American citizens were entitled. The program begins at at 7:30 p.m. at Lewes Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall on Kings Highway, Lewes.

Camp said he never thought that in 1954 he’d be involved in setting an historic precedent. “In June of that year, when my classmates and I graduated from the ninth grade at Benjamin Banneker School, we could not have imagined that within four months we would be making history by enrolling at the all-white Milford High School.” He and his classmates were the first African-American tenth-graders who were denied a place in Delaware history after the Brown vs. Board of Education decision.

Fifty-eight years later, the Milford Eleven students were recognized for their efforts, and awarded their high school diplomas from the Milford School District Board of Education and Milford School District Superintendent Sharon Kanter.

This recognition spurred Camp to put his story to print, and that same year, he completed his book, “The Milford Eleven,” co-authored with Edward Kee, Delaware’s secretary of agriculture. “We really played a pivotal role,” said Camp. “We were part of one of the very first schools to integrate, and it got a lot of attention.”

Within a short time, the Milford Eleven were in the national media spotlight as the town suffered through boycotts and social unrest stirred by white racist leaders during the students' short 28-day stint at the school. Forced to switch schools as a consequence of the public upheaval, the Milford students enrolled in Dover or Georgetown; Camp earned his high school diploma from William Henry Comprehensive High School in Dover.

The public is invited to attend the presentation. Orlando will have signed copies of his book available for purchase. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation. For more information on The Lewes Historical Society go to www.historiclewes.org.