In 1959, when Deerfield officials learned that a developer building a neighborhood of large new homes planned to make houses available to African Americans, they issued a stop-work order. An intense debate began about racial integration, property values, and the good faith of community officials and builders. For a brief time, Deerfield was spotlighted in the national news as "the Little Rock of the North." Supporters of integration were denounced and ostracized by angry residents. Eventually, the village passed a referendum to build parks on the property, thus putting an end to the housing development. Two model homes already partially completed were sold to village officials. The remaining land lay dormant for years before it was developed into what is now Mitchell Pool and Park and Jaycee Park. At the time, Deerfield's black population was 12 people out of a total population of 11,786. This episode in Deerfield's history is described in "But Not Next Door" by Harry and David Rosen, both residents of Deerfield. On June 18, 2020, the Deerfield park board voted to rename Mitchell Park, stating, "Mr. Mitchell's name is simply a symbol that honors a misguided part of Deerfield's history, on a property that was intended to be integrated housing. It is that segregationist history that we do not believe should be honored." On November 19, 2020, the Deerfield Park District Board voted unanimously to remove James Micthell's name from the park and rename it to Floral Park, which was the name originally intended for the sub-division that would have been built at that location.