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Memorial Plaque for Lynching in Delaware Replaced

Jstor

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - A new memorial plaque has been erected in Delaware to mark the 1903 mob lynching of a black man accused of raping and killing a white woman.

The Wilmington News Journal reports the plaque dedicated to laborer George White was unveiled Sunday, replacing one stolen over the summer.

The newspaper says White's death is Delaware's only documented lynching. White was burned alive at the stake, and the mob took pieces of his body as souvenirs. Gov. John Carney and other officials attended the unveiling ceremony.

Officials have said the original marker's concrete footing would have made it difficult to remove. New Castle County officials issued a statement last month promising new, unspecified security measures to prevent another theft as the investigation continues.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.