FROM SETTLEMENT TO THE SET
TODAY, DELRAY BEACH’S HISTORICALLY BLACK COMMUNITY IS KNOWN AS THE SET. JUST AS THEN, THIS CHARMING AREA TODAY REMAINS REMARKABLY DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE, A POPULATION OF FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WELCOMING YOU TO A PLACE LIKE NO OTHER, RICH IN HISTORY AND FULL OF OPPORTUNITY. LIVE, PLAY, GROW, GROOVE, THE SET IS THE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN.
THE COALITION
A table of engaged strategic partners working together to implement The Set Transformation Plan projects, initiatives and vision. The mission of The Coalition is to advance redevelopment to improve the economic, social and cultural future of the West Atlantic Community.
The Set Neighborhood Alliance
A civic association of the subdivided blocks that make up the The Set neighborhood. Established in 1997, The Alliance focuses on civic engagement, resident leadership development, voting and voter engagement, community education and public policy to support The Set and the vision for the community as identified in The Set Transformation Plan.


The Set
The Set is a historically Black, thousand-acre community in the heart of Delray Beach. In 1935, Delray Beach’s City Council adopted Resolution #146-35 designating The Set as the “Negro Area or Settlement”. Today, The Set remains home to the majority of Delray’s minority population – one fifth of Delray’s overall population. This strong and resilient community is known for its historical roots, community leaders, multi-generational families, and tight-knit social fabric. Currently, redevelopment efforts threaten residents’ ability to maintain residence in an area they were once restricted to. Residents and strategic partners are challenging the narrative and working together to save the soul of Delray.
The name – The Set – chosen by the community-led branding initiative celebrates the determination of early settlers (the West Settlers) to build a community from scratch. The name is a reflection of a term used by student bodies of many Historic Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) for the campus gathering area (Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) for example). It also resonates with the “sets” played at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. And in the days of Jim Crow laws of segregation, Black citizens had to be west of 3rd Avenue before sunset. Residents of The Set refer to themselves as members of the Tribe in reference to The Set’s close-knit community, familial ties and strong ties to place.


THE YEAR WAS 1894
EDUCATION. AN OPEN-MINDED COMMUNITY.
1927
City of Delray Beach Established
993
The Set In Acres
28
Neighborhood Associations in The Set
1996
WARC Established