Wilmington in New Castle County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Burton V. Wilmington Parking Authority
Photographed by Don Morfe, September 28, 2019
1. Burton V. Wilmington Parking Authority Marker
Inscription.
Burton V. Wilmington Parking Authority. . 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.
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.
Erected 2018 by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number NCC-238.)
Location. 39° 44.694′ N, 75° 32.94′ W. Marker is in Wilmington, Delaware, in New Castle County. It is at the intersection of North Shipley Street and W. 9th Street on North Shipley Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Wilmington DE 19801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Philadelphia. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic and on the Delmarva Peninsula. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Caesar Rodney Monument (was about 600 feet away but has been confirmed missing).
Photographed by Don Morfe, September 28, 2019
2. Burton V. Wilmington Parking Authority Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on August 19, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2019, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 541 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 4, 2019, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
