Special to the American
Noted civil rights attorney Margaret Bush Wilson knows first-hand what it was like growing up in St. Louis during segregation.
Wilson is not alone. She and many other guests in attendance at a recent unveiling ceremony for an exhibit dedicated to the Phyllis Wheatley Branch of YWCA had many common experiences about segregation and how the branch supported black life.
“Growing up in segregated St. Louis, Wheatley was central to our everyday lives,” Wilson said. “Because of segregation, we couldn’t have our cultural or social events at white public establishments, so Wheatley was our gathering place.” Wilson began attending activities at the branch in her youth and hosted her wedding reception “in the lovely parlor.”
Wilson has served as chair of the national NAACP board of directors and assistant attorney general of Missouri.
Adding additional perspective was another revered civil rights attorney, Frankie Muse Freeman. Freeman was the first woman to be appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and was the attorney who won the landmark case against the St. Louis Housing Authority in 1955 that ended segregation in public housing.
“This exhibit is important because it’s the history,” Freeman said. “It shows the leadership of black women early on. They challenged the status quo and exhibited courage and leadership. And today, as then, the contributions and dedication of the Committee on Administration are unparalleled.”
The Committee on Administration governed and administered Wheatley programs. The organization currently provides volunteer and fund-raising support for the YWCA Transitional Housing Program for homeless women.
The establishment of Wheatley was groundbreaking: In 1911, the only other cities with black branches were New York City; Poughkeepsie, NY; St. Paul, Minn., and Dayton, Ohio.
Wheatley was organized by African-American women to address the needs of African-American girls, women and the community. The branch was located in the middle of the black community, within Mill Creek Valley.
The “Persistence of Spirit” exhibit celebrates the contributions of the YWCA Phyllis Wheatley Branch to the St. Louis community. Wheatley was a beloved jewel in the African-American community, providing a meeting place for fellowship, education, recreation and “respectable” temporary housing.
Early services included pageants, job service, self-improvement classes, athletics, and clubs for business men and women. As late as 1975, the Wheatley Square Dancers performed throughout St. Louis.
The black community could see and meet important figures of the day. W.E.B. Du Bois lectured at Wheatley in 1922, the Fisk Jubilee Singers visited in 1916 and Maya Angelou was a guest.
Black dignitaries who traveled to St. Louis, such as actress Butterfly McQueen and educator Mary McLeod Bethune, stayed in Wheatley transient rooms because they were not welcome in area hotels.
Wheatley became part of the metropolitan YWCA when the organization was integrated during the 1940s.
The public unveiling of the exhibit was held at the Phyllis Wheatley Heritage Center, 2711 Locust St., and was attended by nearly 100 people. The Heritage Center was home to the branch from 1941 until 1994. The exhibit will be on permanent display at the center.
Margaret Day Sessoms, former director of the Phyllis Wheatley Branch who worked at the branch for 33 years, said “Thank you. This is a special day. Now generations to come will know what this branch meant to thousands of people before them.”
Individuals or groups interested in viewing the free exhibit may call 314-652-7755 or e-mail pwhcinfo@ywcastlouis.org. The YWCA website is www.ywcastlouis.org.