Delbert was born in what he describes as Apartheid Mississippi, before the coming of "the King and Mrs. Parks". He moved to Chicago at the age of twelve with his widowed mother. He attended Southeast City college and Chicago Theological Seminary. After dropping out in 1972, Delbert began what he has described as his "Wilderness Experience", walking around the U.S.A.
That experience jumped to another dimension when Delbert was arrested and charged with rape and murder in Florida. Although Delbert vehemently denied the charges, and although the state was never able to produce any evidence against him, he was tried and found guilty by an all white jury (the victims, too were white) and sentenced to death. A mass movement was organized to fight for his life, spearheaded by his friends and family. Rita Warford, Peete Seeger, Terry Callier and Oscar Brown Jr. and the dancer Darlene Blackburn organized a benefit and raised $ and consciousness on Delbert's behalf. His case became a cause celebre. Angela Davis and many other outstanding freedom fighters entered the fray. The Florida Supreme Court overturned the conviction but did not order the lower court to cease and desist prosecution. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court. After many legal perambulations, until 1982, The state's Attorney in Lee County, Fl. dropped the case as he stated that his witnesses' s credibility would be questionable to a jury.
Delbert says that he has always been opposed to Capital Punishment and he became a "dedicated and unmitigated abolitionist against the evil thing". He has lectured all over the USA on the issue of Capital Punishment. The University of Wisconsin, Bradley University, the University of Illinois, Loyola University and Notre Dame are some of the institutions where he has spoken. Delbert has also participated in workshops, forums and panels with community groups all over the nation. He is affiliated with Amnesty International, the National Inter-religious task force on Criminal justice. He is also on the advisory board of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. He participated in a conference on Prison Abolition in Holland (Vrije Free University). He has spoken in Jamaica and Australia. Delbert began writing seriously and publishing during his "wilderness experience", and continues to do so. He has published several books of poetry, the most recent being "Song Singing Songs".
The story of Delbert's clash with the criminal "in-justice" system has been powerfully told in the play "", by Jessica Blank and Eric Jensen. His story is also graphically and artistically told in the mixed media presentation "Barred from Life", by David Popaisky.
Presently, Delbert is writing his autobiography and speaking about the Death Penalty. He lives in Chicago.
