It was impossible not to have a sense of pride while walking with curator Gwen Moore through the exhibit hall as the Missouri History Museum was putting the finishing touches on their #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis exhibit, which opens this weekend and continues through next April.
As a member of the St. Louis American team, an African-American and a native St. Louisan, being surrounded by the city’s rich history at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement was overwhelming.
The exhibit’s title was taken from a 1964 editorial written by St. Louis American co-founder Judge Nathan B. Young. He was also the inspiration behind Moore’s vision for the exhibit.
“He was one of these pioneering historians of the black experience in St. Louis,” Moore said. “It’s pretty hard to talk about civil rights in St. Louis without crediting Judge Young and his great work. Plus, he had a platform like no other because of The American. He was a voice of authority as far as civil rights and I don’t think he gets that credit.”
A banner with a quote from that particular editorial will hang at the front door. “The quote says, ‘If you want the real history of the Civil Rights Movement in this country, you will start in St. Louis,’” Moore said. “Judge Young said the first demonstration in the continent happened here in St. Louis in 1819 – when free blacks and their white allies stood on the steps of the Old Courthouse protesting the fact that Missouri was entering the union as a slave state. He said this was the first open protest related to Civil Rights on the continent.”
The St. Louis region has recently been in the spotlight for unwavering protest during the Ferguson unrest. However, those who walk through the exhibit will see that Ferguson was part of a lineage of powerful protests that stretches nearly 200 years.
“Not only did we have a civil rights movement, but we had a robust Civil Rights movement – and one that had a national impact,” Moore said. “A personal goal for me was to show that – and that there were important people who made a lot of sacrifices and they were pretty much lost to history.”
From the steps of the Old courthouse to the streets of Ferguson, St. Louis has had freedom fighters from the very beginning working to make the region a better place – and laying the blueprint for other regions to follow suit – and #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis gives inspiring and comprehensive insight.
Guests enter the exhibit hall with screens on either side depicting video of a live demonstration, so they will get the sense that they are stepping into a protest.
“We had a lot of reasons to protest – and we had all of these extraordinary people who fought against those things,” Moore said.
The multi-media exhibit features, photos, film and even actor portrayals to tell the story of St. Louis’ contribution to the movement. The actions – which range from the legal actions that go as far back as the “The Freedom Suits” of the 1800s to Jones vs. Mayer Supreme Court of 1968, the direct actions from sit-ins, campaigns for desegregation to direct actions and marches are too vast to mention.
Many names we are familiar with – like Frankie Muse Freeman (who has her own wall), former Congressman Bill Clay, Margaret Bush Wilson, Norman Seay, Ivory Perry and Percy Green – have their place in the exhibit.
So do lesser known, yet equally important contributors such as Birdie Beal Anderson, T.D. McNeil and Robert Witherspoon.
Moore calls the story of the civil rights struggle in St. Louis a distinctly and uniquely American story that should be of interest to everyone.
“You had people – men and women, black and white – who had a deep and abiding faith in those democratic principles and ideals for which this nation was built upon,” Moore said. “Even in slavery, they still believed in that and fought for it – saying, ‘We need to be included in that vision for the American dream, just like everybody else, because we too are Americans.’ What’s more American than that? Some people want to ‘Jim Crow’ American history, but African American history is a part of American history. And anybody who fights for freedom and justice, it benefits everybody – whites, blacks, Latinos, Asians, everybody.”
Just as it began, the exhibit closes with The St. Louis American by featuring the images Lawrence Bryant captured during the Ferguson uprising.
Moore feels that the Ferguson unrest is too fresh to offer insight, but considered illustrations from the movement as a fitting conclusion to the exhibit that was commissioned before the 2014-15 protests took place.
“We have a civil rights history we can be proud of,” Moore said. “We don’t get enough credit for what we’ve done – not just what we’ve done for the city of St. Louis, but what we’ve done for the country.”
The Missouri History Museum Exhibit #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis Opens on March 11 and continues through April 15, 2018. The exhibit’s opening weekend will feature the lecture, “Black Freedom Struggle in the Gateway City” by Clarence Lang of the University of Kansas on March 11 and March 12 at 2 p.m. at The Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www.mohistory.org.
