The Missouri Historical Society has tapped a familiar and highly esteemed voice in St. Louis’ cultural landscape to lead its African American History Initiatives, appointing Lyah LeFlore‑Ituen as director. She steps into the role with a vision shaped by both national experience and deep St. Louis roots, placing a nationally recognized creative force at the helm of one of the region’s most vital platforms for preserving and elevating Black history.
“African American history is not a footnote to St. Louis — it is part of our foundation, its rhythm, and its living memory,” LeFlore‑Ituen said. “I come to this work as a native St. Louisan, a storyteller, and the daughter of cultural pioneers who taught me that history is something you live, protect and pass on.”
“Across more than three decades in entertainment, media, literature and cultural advocacy, I’ve seen how community‑rooted stories shape power, belonging and possibility…”
Lyah LeFlore‑Ituen
LeFlore‑Ituen — a New York Times bestselling author, award‑winning producer, NAACP Image Award winner and lifelong storyteller — brings more than 30 years of experience shaping narratives at the intersection of media, culture and community. She sees the role as an opportunity to pour back into the city that helped shape her voice as a literary artist and cultural force.
Over the years, she has often spoken about the creative power of St. Louis and the responsibility she feels to amplify it. “St. Louis has always been a city of giants — poets, musicians, visionaries — and I’ve always felt called to make sure the world knows that,” she said during a conversation with this reporter about her work with emerging artists. “This city raised me creatively. Everything I do is rooted in honoring that.”
She has also been clear about why she continues to invest her time and talent in her hometown. “People underestimate the brilliance that lives in this city,” LeFlore‑Ituen said. “But I’ve seen it up close my whole life. St. Louis is overflowing with storytellers — they just need platforms that see them, value them and amplify them.”
As director, LeFlore‑Ituen will guide the vision and execution of initiatives that expand scholarship, deepen community trust and ensure that Black history remains central to understanding the American story. She will serve as the primary spokesperson for AAHI and report directly to Missouri Historical Society President and CEO Dr. Jody Sowell.
“Lyah is an extraordinary cultural leader whose career reflects the power of storytelling to educate, connect and inspire,” Sowell said. “Her background in media, authorship and community‑rooted work will add tremendous depth to an already talented team.”
At the core of her approach is a focus on long‑term impact and sustainability. LeFlore‑Ituen said her priorities include strengthening the African American History Initiative endowment, investing in leadership and community partnerships, aligning internal work across the institution and amplifying AAHI’s public voice. She will also help guide efforts to collect artifacts, record and preserve oral histories, and connect past and present so Black history is not only remembered, but recognized as essential.
Her commitment to this work is deeply personal. LeFlore‑Ituen’s family roots in Missouri date back to the 1700s. Her maternal great‑great‑grandmother was enslaved in Fredericktown, Missouri, while her great‑great‑grandfather was a free man. Together, they built a life in southern Missouri — a foundation that continues to inform her work today.
She is currently documenting that lineage in a book written with her mother, a process she describes as “piecing together a living quilt.” She sees that same work reflected in the mission of the African American History Initiative: collecting artifacts, preserving stories and connecting past and present so Black history remains central to understanding the American story.
Her résumé spans senior roles at Nickelodeon, Uptown Entertainment and Haymon Entertainment, where she collaborated with industry giants such as the late Andre Harrell, Dick Wolf, Alan Haymon and Emmy‑winning director Anthony Hemingway. Her work includes projects like “New York Undercover,” “8 Days a Week” and “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.”
In 2025, she produced and hosted “Poetry in Motion: STL Poets Take the Mic,” a Kranzberg Arts Foundation–supported documentary that aired on PBS — a project that showcased her ability to elevate local voices into national cultural conversations. Reflecting on the city’s creative depth, LeFlore-Ituen said, “When you give St. Louis artists a platform, they don’t just shine — they explode. My job has always been to make sure the spotlight finds them.”
Her literary work is equally expansive. She is the author or co‑author of nine books, including Wildflowers, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, and Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil, written with Lezley McSpadden — a memoir that honors the life and legacy of her late son Michael Brown. Her forthcoming memoir, I Collect My Eyes…, co‑written with her late mother — St. Louis Poet Laureate Emeritus Shirley Bradley LeFlore — continues her family’s intergenerational commitment to art and memory.
Beyond her creative work, LeFlore‑Ituen is a respected civic leader. She co‑founded the Shirley Bradley LeFlore Foundation and serves on the board of Counterpublic, a nationally recognized public art organization. She is a graduate of Stephens College and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
“St. Louis is overflowing with stories that deserve care, context and celebration,” she said. “If I can help lift those voices — if I can help the world see what we have here — then I’m doing the work I was put here to do.”
In her new role, LeFlore‑Ituen will oversee AAHI staff, guide cross‑divisional collaborations, help establish a community advisory board and steward the African American History Endowment. The program supports the preservation of Black history across the region, the development of future museum professionals and the creation of inclusive exhibits and programs.
“Across more than three decades in entertainment, media, literature and cultural advocacy, I’ve seen how community‑rooted stories shape power, belonging and possibility,” she said. “As Director of the African American History Initiatives, I am honored to steward this work alongside our community partners — expanding how stories are preserved and carried forward so history continues to shape our collective future.”
Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.
