Forty years after he and nine others were accused of arson and conspiracy to fire on firefighters and law enforcement officers in Wilmington, Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., a black abolitionist, will come to the University today to spread his message of racial equality.
Chavis and the nine others, later known as the Wilmington 10, were convicted and imprisoned, but the witnesses later recanted their testimony in a case that became known worldwide. The convictions were later overturned, and the 10 were considered political prisoners by groups such as Amnesty International.
On Tuesday, Chavis spoke of a career in civil rights that took him from the streets of Wilmington to prison. Eventually, he became executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
DTH: What do you plan on focusing on in your discussion?
Benjamin Chavis: Well, it’s an important anniversary for the Wilmington 10 case, which was a civil rights case. Members of the Wilmington 10 were falsely accused for political reasons and had to spend time in prison as a result. It took 10 years of court litigation to prove our innocence.
DTH: I know that members of the Ku Klux Klan and some other organizations were openly hostile to the African-American activists in Wilmington. How did it feel to be treated that way?
BC: At the time the issue was school segregation. We were trying to get equal justice for African-American students who were being discriminated against in the schools. The KKK and ROWP (Rights of White People) — they attacked us. Even though the KKK and ROWP were violent, they were never prosecuted for their violence.
DTH: How does it feel to be part of such an important piece of history?
BC: I see the case as a badge of honor. I was very proud of how young people in Wilmington in 1970 and 1971 stood up and spoke out about racial equality. I want to talk tomorrow about not only what happened 40 years ago but how it can be applied today in 2011.
