In August 1958, Wilmington City Councilman and Civil Rights activist William “Dutch” Burton worked with the NAACP to expose the racially discriminatory practices of the Eagle Coffee Shoppe. The restaurant was located on this site in a complex owned and operated by the Wilmington Parking Authority. When Burton was denied service at the Eagle due to his race, attorney Louis L. Redding filed suit against the Authority. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which decided in favor of Burton in 1961. The Court ruled that private tenants of a public facility were bound by the 14th Amendment and could not discriminate on the basis of race.

NCC-238: Installed in 2018

Location:

116 W 9th St. Wilmington, DE 19801

 

Links to more resources:

• NCC-238: Collected Research Materials
• Delaware Library Catalog: Integrating Delaware: The Reddings of Wilmington, by Annette Woolard-Provine