Wilmington City Council

🗓 Happening Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 5 p.m. 🗓 Join us for our Health, Environmental, Aging & Disabilities Committee Meeting. To view the agenda and to download legislation that will be discussed during the meeting, visit
https://www.wilmingtoncitycouncil.com/event/health-environmental-aging-disabilities-committee-meeting-11/

The meeting is open to the public in the Council Committee Room of the Louis L. Redding City County building located at 800 North French Street, in Wilmington. For those who cannot attend the meeting in-person, you still have the option to participate virtually by accessing the meeting at
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88998118219 or listen in only by calling one of the following phone numbers (929) 205-6099 or (301) 715-8592. You will be asked for the Webinar ID. Please dial 884 9134 7939 and then #. You can press # again when prompted to immediately enter the meeting

On Thursday, June 18, 2026, during Wilmington City Council’s Regular Meeting, 2nd District Councilwoman Shané N. Darby presented a resolution recognizing the work of the Reparations Implementation and Oversight Subcommittee and affirming the need for reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans in the City of Wilmington. 📸 Photography by Marialic Sanchez-Torres, Communications Assistant for Wilmington City Council.

The resolution reads as follows:

Sponsor: Council Member Shané N. Darby

WHEREAS, it is the sense of City Council to honor individuals, organizations, and significant occasions deserving of recognition and acknowledgment. As our City, State, and Nation mark 250 years of independence, Council Member Shané N. Darby acknowledges the historical harms of enslavement and affirms the need for reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans; and

WHEREAS, from the earliest colonial period, millions of Africans and their descendants were subjected to the institution of chattel slavery, a system that denied their humanity, liberty, labor, family integrity, cultural identity, and fundamental human rights. Because the Emancipation Proclamation granted freedom to “all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, […] in rebellion against the United States,” the State of Delaware was excepted until the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in December of 1865; and

WHEREAS, the economic foundations of the City of Wilmington, State of Delaware, and the United States, as well as numerous countries in Europe and the Americas, were built in significant part upon the uncompensated labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants. Despite their immense contributions, generations of Black Americans were deprived of opportunities to accumulate property, access education, garner political power, and build intergenerational wealth; and

WHEREAS, the cumulative effects of slavery and subsequent discriminatory practices continue to manifest in measurable disparities in wealth, homeownership, educational attainment, health outcomes, life expectancy, employment opportunities, and access to capital among Black Americans and descendants of enslaved Africans. A peer-reviewed study of the genealogy and financial disclosures of the 117th session of the United States Congress found that members whose ancestors enslaved more than 16 individuals had a $3.93 million higher net worth than members who did not; and

WHEREAS, in May 2024, the Council of the City of Wilmington adopted Resolution 24-025, accepting the Final Report of Wilmington’s Reparations Taskforce, which included findings and recommendations to address the historical and continuing harms caused by slavery, segregation, and systemic racism; and

WHEREAS, in May 2026, the Council of the City of Wilmington adopted Resolution 26-043 to establish a Reparations Implementation and Oversight Subcommittee to facilitate legislative action guided by the proposals enumerated in the Reparations Taskforce’s Final Report.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WILMINGTON, that this Council acknowledges the immeasurable harms of slavery on enslaved Africans and their descendants and affirms the need for reparations in the City of Wilmington.

❤️🖤💚 During Wilmington City Council's Regular Meeting on June 18, 2026, 2nd District Councilwoman Shané N. Darby proudly presented a resolution, co-sponsored by 1st District Councilman Coby J. Owens, recognizing the Delaware Juneteenth Association for preserving, educating, and celebrating the significance of Juneteenth throughout Delaware. 📸 Photography by Marialic Sanchez-Torres, Communications Assistant for Wilmington City Council.

The resolution reads as follows:

Sponsors: Council Members Coby J. Owens and Shané N. Darby

WHEREAS, Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day, is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of all enslaved African Americans in the Confederate States. It commemorates the events of June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger led Union soldiers into Galveston, Texas, bringing news that the Civil War had ended and that the Emancipation Proclamation had declared all enslaved people free nearly two and a half years earlier; and

WHEREAS, Juneteenth celebrations take place annually, consisting of readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, prayer and worship services, cultural performances, community service events, ceremonial observances, food, and more; and

WHEREAS, the Emancipation Proclamation declared enslaved people in the Confederate states free. All enslaved people in the United States were not declared officially freed until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on December 6, 1865; and

WHEREAS, African Americans were not fully recognized as citizens until the passage of the 14th Amendment in 1868, and African American men were largely prevented from voting until the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870. Despite this, Blacks were forced to continue to fight for civil rights throughout the 20th Century. The enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968 were monumental achievements. However, more than 50 years after their passage, African Americans still face oppression in many forms in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Opal Lee was a retired teacher, counselor, and activist whose dream was to have Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday. Ms. Lee campaigned for decades, promoting the idea by leading numerous two-and-a-half-mile walks each year, representing the two-and-a-half years it took for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas. On June 17, 2021, President Biden got down on one knee to greet her in the audience. He then signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law; and

WHEREAS, the Delaware Juneteenth Association is a statewide community-based organization founded more than three decades ago. The Association has worked diligently to “to preserve the meaning of Juneteenth while creating opportunities for celebration, education, service, and cultural pride throughout Delaware.” For more than thirty years, its dedicated volunteers have organized annual observances, freedom parades, festivals, worship services, pageants, flag raisings, and educational opportunities to ensure that generations of Delawareans learn about the history of emancipation, the African American experience, and the continuing pursuit of equality and justice.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WILMINGTON, that as our City, State, and Nation mark 250 years of independence, Wilmington City Council commends the Delaware Juneteenth Association for its longstanding commitment to celebrating African American culture and heritage and fostering understanding of the journey to freedom for the descendants of enslaved Africans.

During Wilmington City Council’s Regular Meeting on June 18, At-Large Councilwoman Latisha Bracy proudly presented a resolution on behalf of 3rd District Councilwoman Zanthia Oliver recognizing Women in Labor Inc. for its outstanding contributions to civic engagement, health and wellness, voter education, and public service. 📸 Photography by Marialic Sanchez-Torres, Communications Assistant for Wilmington City Council.

The resolution reads as follows:

Sponsor: Council Member Zanthia Oliver

WHEREAS, it is the sense of City Council to honor individuals and organizations who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and deserving of recognition and acknowledgment. Women in Labor Inc. is one such organization; and

WHEREAS, Women in Labor, Inc., “Where Wellness Meets Civic Engagement,” was founded in 2023 by Carmen Anderson Brown, with a mission to offer innovative learning initiatives for women, workers, and the community and to promote civic engagement, health, and wellness. Recognizing the need to acknowledge and honor women working in labor and other traditionally male-dominated workplaces, Carmen established an annual brunch, an initiative that ultimately inspired the creation of Women in Labor, Inc; and

WHEREAS, Women in Labor Inc. builds upon more than 35 years of voter registration and education efforts led by Carmen. Her efforts began at Chrysler Motors as a member of United Auto Workers Local 1183 and continued as a member and Recording Secretary of the International Longshoremen Association, Clerks and Checkers Local 1883 at the Port of Wilmington; and

WHEREAS, Women in Labor Inc. advances civic engagement through Voter Registrar Trainings with the State of Delaware, enabling members and others to become certified in registering people to vote, promotes community well-being through the annual THAW (Thrive Health and Wellness) Fair, a free community event promoting health and wellness, and furthers educational opportunity through the Morgan Dixon Hudson Memorial Scholarship; and

WHEREAS, the success and continued impact of Women in Labor Inc. is made possible through the commitment and service of its members, including Vice President and Treasurer Tameka Gosa, Shakeena Rodriguez, Pammy Carter, Daijah Stewart, Waynna Dobson, Kim Congo Tucker, Kenya' Ross, Tykeisha Hall, Nikqua Brown, and Nakiesha Armstrong.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WILMINGTON, that this Council is pleased to recognize Women in Labor Inc. for their contributions to civic engagement, community wellness, and public service. “Job well done.”

Following a community town hall held on June 9, 2026, at Joseph E. Johnson Elementary School, 7th District Councilman Chris Johnson announced he will introduce a resolution to extend the City Planning Commission's review period for the Bancroft Parkway rezoning Applications.

The town hall brought together residents and neighborhood leaders to discuss rezoning applications for 1010 Bancroft Parkway and 2140 West 11th Street. Councilman Johnson thanks attendees for voicing their questions and concerns about the potential impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

“I am sponsoring a resolution to provide the City’s Planning Department with an additional 90 days to review the Tsionas rezoning application. A decision of this significance deserves the time to get it right. The community vision survey I launched a few weeks ago has already generated valuable feedback, and this additional time will allow that input, along with the Planning Department’s technical review and the conditions framework I am developing, to fully inform the process. I remain committed to a thorough, transparent process that serves the entire corridor and gets this right for our community”, said Councilman Johnson.

The resolution is not an approval or vote on the proposed project. Its sole purpose is to extend, by 90 days, the period of time provided to the City Planning Commission to consider the applications and submit its report and recommendation to City Council.

The proposed 90-day moratorium resolution is scheduled to be considered by Wilmington City Council on the following dates:

🗓️ June 24, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at the Health, Environmental, Aging & Disabilities Committee Meeting in the Council Committee Room

🗓️ July 2, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at the Wilmington City Council Regular Meeting in the Council Chambers

The address for both meetings is 800 N. French Street, 1st Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801.

Wilmington City Council Members Coby Owens and Alexander Hackett proudly congratulate Wilmington native Jezelle "GG" Banks on helping lead USA Basketball Women's U18 National Team to a gold medal victory, bringing international recognition to both her outstanding athletic achievements and the City of Wilmington.

Banks, one of the nation's brightest young basketball stars, showcased the talent, discipline, and determination that have become hallmarks of Wilmington's youth. Her contributions to Team USA's championship run have inspired countless young athletes throughout the City and demonstrated what is possible through hard work, perseverance, and community support.

"Jezelle's success is a victory not only for Team USA, but for the entire City of Wilmington," said Council Member Coby Owens. "She represents the very best of our community with dedication, excellence, and resilience. Young people throughout our neighborhoods can look at her journey and know that their dreams are attainable. We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments and look forward to watching her continue to reach new heights."

Council Member Alexander Hackett echoed those sentiments, emphasizing the impact Banks has on future generations. "GG Banks has become a powerful example of what Wilmington's young people can achieve when talent meets opportunity," said Council Member Alexander Hackett. "Her gold medal performance reflects years of commitment, sacrifice, and support from family, coaches, mentors, and the community that helped shape her journey. She continues to make Wilmington proud, and we celebrate this remarkable achievement alongside her."

Banks' gold medal victory serves as a reminder of the extraordinary talent that exists within Wilmington and highlights the importance of investing in youth development, athletics, mentorship, and educational opportunities.

Council Members Owens and Hackett encourage residents throughout Wilmington to join them in celebrating Jezelle "GG" Banks for her outstanding accomplishment and for serving as an inspiration to the next generation of leaders, athletes, and changemakers.

Join us NEXT WEEK for our upcoming Committee meeting. You can participate in several ways: in person in the Council Chambers or Council Committee Room at 800 N. French Street in the Louis L. Redding City County Building, on our page here, on WITN22 YouTube page Channel 22, online at WITN22.org, on TV by tuning in to Comcast Channel 22, or via Zoom.

Citizens wishing to be heard on issues are encouraged to voice their concerns at the appropriate meeting. To view the agenda, agenda items, and instructions on how you can join a meeting via Zoom, visit our Events Calendar at https://www.wilmingtoncitycouncil.com/events/ and click on the meeting you’re interested in joining.

Today, the Wilmington City Council celebrates Juneteenth alongside community members, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. City Council invites everyone to honor this significant and monumental day.

In observance of Juneteenth, Wilmington City government offices will be closed on Friday, June 19th, 2026, for the holiday.

🗓 Happening Tommorow, Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. 🗓 Join us for our Wilmington City Council Meeting. To view the agenda and to download legislation that will be discussed during the meeting, visit
https://www.wilmingtoncitycouncil.com/event/wilmington-city-council-meeting-182/

The meeting is open to the public in the Council Committee Room of the Louis L. Redding City County building located at 800 North French Street, in Wilmington. For those who cannot attend the meeting in-person, you still have the option to participate virtually by accessing the meeting at
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87437973204 or listen in only by calling one of the following phone numbers (929) 205-6099 or (301) 715-8592. You will be asked for the Webinar ID. Please dial 884 9134 7939 and then #. You can press # again when prompted to immediately enter the meeting.