For generations, the Sherman Williams American Legion Hall Post 188c has stood at 196 NW 8th Avenue in Delray Beach as a testament to service, resilience, and community pride. Its story begins with injustice, grows into triumph, and for too long has been marked by heartbreak. Today, we finally have an opportunity to turn the page.
Post 188c was founded by Black World War II veterans who returned home after fighting for democracy overseas, only to be denied full participation in it here at home. Under Jim Crow segregation, they were excluded from other American Legion posts. So they did what so many marginalized communities have done when shut out of public life: They built their own institution.
The “C” in Post 188c stands for “Colored.” It is a painful reminder of a segregated past, but also an honest one. That designation remains because the community asked that it remain, not to glorify segregation, but to acknowledge it and to honor what these veterans built in spite of it…