GEORGETOWN, DE -- The debate over the Confederate flag flying at the Marvel Museum in Georgetown continues as Delaware action group Speak Out Against Hate (SOAH) works to bring the issue back to the spotlight and have the flag taken down.
The Delaware Grays Sons of Confederate Veterans raised the flag and monument in 2007. The flag was at the center of attention on 2022 when some members of the Georgetown Town Council granted the museum more than $24,000 in funding despite pushback from many.
Now, Speak Out Against Hate is speaking out to remove what the group says is a "symbol of hate".
"The Sons of Confederate Veterans turned this museum, which should be an asset for the city, into essentially a mausoleum of hate and ignorance," says Joseph Lawson.
WBOC spoke with Delaware Grays Camp Commander Jeff Plummer back in November of 2022. When asked about calls for the flag to come down then, Plummer said, "We're just trying to keep history alive and pertinent, and out there so people can see and learn".
WBOC reached out to Plummer Thursday. He was not available, but says he would comment in the near future. We also reached out to the Georgetown Historical Society, which runs the museum, and have not heard back.
Speak Out Against Hate Vice President Allan Slan says the history should be recognized in a different setting.
"The Civil War is a part of our history," says Slan. "The Confederacy is part of our history. That flag belongs in the museum, not flying outside the museum."
In recent months, the group has held meetings to put together a plan to try and bring the flag down. Lawson and Slan say their group is in contact with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and private lawyers to possibly take legal action against the museum. A letter writing campaign and petition drive are also on the agenda.
"Our belief and our hope is that there will be enough of a citizen outcry about this that will bring pressure upon our elected officials and others, and even the group that flies the flag to put it where it belongs."
"We need to put the bad of the past behind us and move forward, and we can't do that with this type of distraction," says Lawson.
Speak Out Against Hate plans to continue the conversation at their next meeting on November 13th.
