Imagine getting a call from a wax museum saying they want to make a casting of you because of your courage and sacrifice.
When Sherman George, former fire chief for St. Louis city, got that call from the Griot Museum of Black History & Culture, he was thankful he was sitting down.
“All I could say was, ‘Wow,’” George said. “The biggest thing I ever wanted to do was to be an example for younger African Americans, and I didn’t want to let my people down. I was successful in both, and that makes me feel better than anything.”
Now after a three-year process, the museum announced recently that the unveiling ceremony for George’s life-size wax figure will be from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, April 28. The unveiling reception will be held at the Gateway Classic Foundation, 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive.
Founded in 1997, the Griot museum, 2505 Saint Louis Ave., is a keeper of the stories, culture and history of black people. Chief George’s casting will stand next to those of Josephine Baker, Dred and Harriet Scott, Elizabeth Keckley, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Miles Davis, Percy Green II and others.
For Lois Conley, the museum’s founder, it is truly about Chief George’s story.
“I think it is a story of persistence and commitment,” Conley said. “It is a story of a willingness to stand one’s ground, even sometimes when you have to do it alone.”
Chief George, the city’s first African-American fire chief, publicly refused demands by Mayor Francis G. Slay make promotions from a contested promotions list, as the City Charter empowers the fire chief to do. Though many leaders and community members supported Chief George’s position, he was demoted and then soon after resigned.
“He was calling for change in some of the testing procedures that he felt mitigated against people of color,” said Brenda Jones, executive director of the ACLU of Eastern Missouri.
“He was sort of a hero. He was fighting a fight that was really a lot bigger. The struggle he was going through was so symptomatic of what so many African Americans go through in positions of leadership.”
During this struggle, Jones said she had the idea to capture Chief George’s story.
She felt the Griot Museum was the place to do that, so she approached Conley and began raising money.
“This is the moment we have to support people like Sherman, who have given up a lot for what they believe in,” Jones said. “This seemed to me a perfect way to get that done.”
Conley said the exhibit unveiling will bring a wide array of community members together, as well as supporters. The lead sponsors include World Wide Technology, Inc., Ameren UE, The St. Louis American, Grey Goose Cherry Noir Vodka, Anheuser Busch-In Bev, Gateway Classic Foundation and Mathews-Dickey Boys’ and Girls’ Club.
“It will be a historic event to see the unveiling and get to see other stories in the museum,” Conley said. “Good fellowship and friends to support Chief George.”
Last year about 7,000 people passed through the museum, the second of its kind the country. The Griot aims to create a community of “lifelong learners who explore, experience and embrace Missouri’s rich and enduring African-American heritage.”
Conley said the museum honors people who took on a cause on their own and made a sacrifice to benefit other people. Chief George’s story is an important addition, she said.
“Leadership is a sacrifice,” Chief George said. “It’s not meant to put you on the pedestal. It’s meant for you to go out and work hard for other people – that’s what it’s meant for.”
For ticket purchase details or additional information, please contact, Brenda Jones, co-chair of the Torchbearer for Justice Committee, at 314-669-3416 or email her at brenda@aclu-em.org. Or contact Addington Stewart, co-chair of the committee, at 314-369-7935.
