Who We Are
While there are many organizations with an interest in the unique African American experience, AAHI has been drawing inspiration and guidance from the past to help our youth live productive lives. Through a variety of programs, we seek to build a positive sense of self using our African American history.
The 1039 Workshop, located at 1039 Clifford Brown Walk, houses our incubator program, where we develop and test onsite and virtual programming. Upon completion of the state-of-the-art African American Heritage Institute at 1043 Clifford Brown Walk (formerly the Allied Kid Building), programs will be scaled and delivered in a building accessible to Eastside residents, Wilmington, New Castle County and Delaware.
Inspire and prepare Delaware's young people
To inspire and prepare young people throughout Delaware for an increasingly diverse world through programming grounded in the history, experiences and achievements of Delaware's African American community. AAHI operates a center that provides educational and personal development programs as part of its commitment to exploring, documenting, preserving, and educating diverse communities about the remarkable African American experience rising out of the Eastside of Wilmington and Delaware.
Knowing our history prepares us for our future
For young people, especially youth in low-income or marginalized communities, learning about the experiences and achievements of ancestors can open hearts and minds to what is possible. By connecting young people more fully to African American history, we seek to open doors and create new pathways to building strong and thriving communities.
Preservation
Documenting and safeguarding the stories, artifacts, and places of Delaware's African American history.
Education
Programs grounded in the experiences and achievements of the Eastside and beyond.
Advocacy
Bridging the past, preserving the present, and preparing young people for the future.
Our Role on Wilmington's East Side
The East Side of Wilmington is one of Delaware's most historically significant African American neighborhoods. It is where families built churches, businesses, and institutions, and where generations of leaders came of age. AAHI is rooted in this community, on Clifford Brown Walk, and our work begins with the neighbors who live here.
We are restoring two long-vacant buildings rather than replacing them, training residents to record their own histories, and creating gathering space that belongs to the neighborhood. Preservation here is not only about buildings - it is about keeping the community's story in the community's hands.
Erin Hutt
Erin Hutt leads the African American Heritage Institute as Executive Director, guiding day-to-day operations, programming, and the capital vision that will transform the historic Allied Kid Building into a state-of-the-art home for preservation, education, and advocacy.
Board of Directors
Lawrence W. Wright
Gary Hutt
Sandra Wright
Yvonne Gordon
Janet Williams-Coger
James H. Sills, Jr.
- Eric Burk
- Walter Harmon
- Lisa Holl Tucker
- Lillian Nichols
- Tim Robinson
- Josie Roy
- Helen R. Foster, JD
- Tracey E. Merritt, PE
- Richard Smith
Restoration & Impact Timeline
From a bold idea in 2011 to a landmark restored in 2028 - milestones marking the growth of the African American Heritage Institute.
- Foundation2011
AAHI is founded
A group of historians, educators, and community advocates come together to preserve and celebrate Delaware's African American heritage.
- Programming2015
The 1039 Workshop opens
1039 Clifford Brown Walk becomes our incubator - a space to develop, test, and deliver onsite and virtual programs rooted in Eastside history.
- Capital Project2019
Allied Kid Building acquired
AAHI secures 1043 Clifford Brown Walk, the historic Allied Kid Building, as the future home of the state-of-the-art African American Heritage Institute.
- Community Impact2022
Youth programs expand
Curriculum, storytelling series, and community events broaden reach across Wilmington, New Castle County, and Delaware.
- AAHI Network2024
Digital heritage takes flight
The AAHI Network launches - bringing podcasts, video, and archival storytelling to audiences well beyond the Eastside.
- Groundbreaking2026
Restoration underway
Design and preservation work advances on the future Heritage Institute, blending museum-quality exhibits with community-first spaces.
- Grand Opening2028
A landmark restored
The African American Heritage Institute opens its doors - a permanent home for preservation, education, and advocacy.