Whitesboro is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) located within Middle Township in

Cape May County Cape May County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Much of the county is located on Cape May bound by Delaware Bay to its west and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and east. Adjacent to the Atlantic coastline are fiv ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States. Until the 2000 Census the area had been part of the Whitesboro-Burleigh CDP, which was split in 2010 into separate CDPs for Burleigh and Whitesboro. As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, the CDP's population was 2,205.DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Whitesboro CDP, New Jersey

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

. Accessed October 19, 2012. Whitesboro was founded as a planned residential community for African Americans and has the majority of the township's black population.

History

Whitesboro was founded about 1901 by the Equitable Industrial Association, which had prominent black American investors including

Paul Laurence Dunbar Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky before the American C ...

, the educator

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...

and

George Henry White George Henry White (December 18, 1852 – December 28, 1918) was an American attorney and politician, elected as a Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina's 2nd congressional district between 1897 and 1901. He later became a banker ...

, the leading investor and namesake. He was an attorney who had moved to Philadelphia after serving as the last black Republican congressman representing

North Carolina's 2nd congressional district North Carolina's 2nd congressional district is located in the central part of the state. The district contains most of Wake County. Prior to court-mandated redistricting in 2019, it also included northern Johnston County, southern Nash County, ...

. White and his fellow entrepreneurs wanted to create a self-reliant community for blacks without the discrimination faced by black residents of the southern states. Shares in the planned community were sold to African Americans from North and South Carolina and Virginia. In 2006, the Johnson Family Historical Trust discovered the value of its original deed to Whitesboro property from the George H. White Realty Company. It has been called one of "America's Untold Treasures" by appraiser Phillip Merrill. The Johnson Family Historical Trust holds rare items important to Whitesboro, such as a 1936 radio formerly owned by James L. Johnson, a nationally recognized ham radio operator. His radios are of interest to Whitesboro and national history in technology. There are more than 50 known and appraised artifacts from the original investors of the town that will be featured in Whitesboro in upcoming years. A dig for national history is planned to uncover more artifacts at various historical sites in Whitesboro, hosted by the Johnson Family Historical Trust.

Geography

According to the

, the CDP had a total area of 3.632 square miles (9.406 km²), including 3.614 square miles (9.360 km²) of land and 0.018 square miles (0.047 km²) of water (0.50%).US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990

. Accessed September 4, 2014.

Demographics

Census 2010

Education

It is within the

Middle Township School District The Middle Township Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Middle Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school ...

which operates

Middle Township High School Middle Township High School is a four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Middle Township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Middle Township Public Schools. In ...

Countywide schools include

Cape May County Technical High School Cape May County Technical High School, located in Middle Township, which provides vocational and technical education to students in ninth through twelfth grades from Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Cape May ...

and

Cape May County Special Services School District The Cape May County Special Services School District (CMCSSSD) is a special education public school district headquartered in Middle Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, whose schools offer educational and therapeutic services ...

. In the era of

de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...

educational segregation in the United States Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...

, a school for black children was maintained in Whitesboro for grades 1-8.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Whitesboro include: *

Stedman Graham Stedman Graham (born March 6, 1951) is an American educator, author, businessman, and public speaker. He is the long-term partner of Oprah Winfrey. Early life and education Graham was born on March 6, 1951, in the Whitesboro section of Middle ...

(born 1951), a 1,000-point scorer for the

boys varsity basketball team; he is an educator, author, businessman, and speaker who is the longtime partner of media mogul

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...

."Embrace Diversity With Stedman Graham: 'Diversity: Leaders Not Labels' Teaches Readers to Harness Their Skills and Achieve Success"

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

, September 21, 2006. Accessed June 17, 2007. "Students were bused from Whitesboro to attend Middle Township schools, where I attended an integrated high school." Whitesboro NJ WWI memorial.jpg, World War I memorial Whitesboro NJ MLK Community Center.jpg, Martin Luther King Community Center St._Stephen_AME_Church_NJ.jpg, St. Stephen AME Church

References

External links

''The Cape May County Gazette''
community newspaper
''The Beachcomber''
{{Authority control Census-designated places in Cape May County, New Jersey Middle Township, New Jersey African-American history of New Jersey