Wilmington Church remembers a racially tense time during the 1970's when the United Church of Christ stood with The Reverend Benjamin Chavis and the Wilmington Ten.

Photos below highlight February 1 2006 Anniversary Commemoration Event hosted by Gregory Congregational United Church of Christ.

Click on thumbnail image for larger view. Choose "back" or return arrow command on browser header to return to this page. (photos by C. L. Stumb)

The Wilmington Ten, a brief synopsis as written in the Commemorative Brochure prepared by Gregory UCC for the February 1 service.

The Wilmington Ten entered history during the racial rioting that occurred in February of 1971 when Wilmington's African American students announced a boycott of the city's schools because of violence that occurred after sudden, poorly-planned, and badly implemented school desegregation. Reverend Ben Chavis, as he was then known, was sent by the United Church of Christ to provide organizational leadership and support the students, and Gregory Church became their headquarters. Dr. Chavis's commitment to civil and human rights was severely tested when he and nine others were first besieged in Gregory Church. This was followed by what would later be determined as a false arrest and conviction on conspiracy and arson charges stemming from the 1971 burning of Mike's Grocery, near Gregory Church during the rioting. He and the other members of the Wilmington Ten served four and a half years in prison.

The Wilmington Ten case aroused national and international outrage. In 1978, Amnesty International cited the Wilmington Ten as the first official case of political prisoners in the United States. On December 4, 1980, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the convictions, exonerating the Wilmington Ten.