Sarah McBride

Mr. Speaker, Greeting · 24 wordsI rise today to recognize an incredible Delawarean whose impact has long shaped the work of racial justice in Sussex County and across Delaware.Greeting Claims · 28 wordsCharlotte King, who founded the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice in 2015, has committed decades of her life to fighting inequities across health, education, ¹and public policy. Thanks · 31 wordsAs we celebrate a decade of work by the Alliance, we honor and celebrate Ms. King’s continued impact, her tireless commitment to neighbors, and ceaseless devotion to the betterment of Delaware.Thanks Positioning · 7 wordsCharlotte King has long been a barrier-breaker.Positioning Claims · 69 wordsDuring her time at St. John’s University in the 1950s, she was one of the Magnificent Seven, a cohort of seven Black students who enrolled at the university amid the civil rights movement.² In 2000, she moved to the greatest State in the Union, settling in Lewes, ³where she began volunteering with the League of Women Voters and was struck by the lack of Black representation in Sussex County. Reasoning · 21 wordsThe weight of the untold stories and unheard voices of our Black neighbors is what drove Charlotte to found the Alliance. Claims · 74 wordsThe organization’s primary purpose has been to showcase Delaware’s history, identify how to support Black Delawareans, and how to empower all Delawareans to be stronger, better advocates for racial justice, and equality. During her 8 years leading the alliance, Charlotte developed an organization that offered townhalls with civic servants, from local leaders and police chiefs, hosted educational seminars, ⁴and supported the development of both the Black Voices Magazine and the African American Film Festival. Anecdote · 33 wordsI recently had the privilege of sitting down with Charlotte in her living room to hear the stories of her trailblazing life and discuss the ongoing need for progress in Delaware and nationally.Anecdote Positioning · 21 wordsShe is a bold leader, a bridge builder, and she continues to serve as a conscience for our State of neighbors.Positioning Claims · 97 wordsIn the last year alone, her work and impact has been honored. She was inducted into the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame, honored by the Delaware Times with the Mitchell Award, ⁵and recently named one of the most influential people in Delaware.⁶ At a moment when a coordinated attack on Black political power is unfolding before our eyes across the country, it is citizen leaders like Charlotte who embody that charge from the late Congressman John Lewis to get into good and necessary trouble in order to redeem the legacy and reclaim the story of this country.Unearned certainty Mr. Speaker, Thanks · 34 wordsI am honored to recognize her in this Chamber today and applaud her years of service to Delaware and the powerful work she has done to move the First State toward justice for all.Thanks