As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the University of Missouri – St. Louis recently honored the contributions of African Americans.
“UMSL at 50: The African American Contributions” was presented Nov. 7 at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center by the African American Alumni Chapter, Associated Black Collegians, Black Faculty & Staff Association and UMSL’s Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity.
Chancellor Thomas George welcomed the guests, and Katina Magnussen, a senior social work major at the university, sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Current University of Missouri St. Louis students DeAnna Monroe and Kevin Carpenter were honored and awarded $1,000 scholarships for their contributions. Monroe hosts a show at UMSL radio and is a part of the Strikeforce Dance team. Carpenter is UMSL campus president of the Associated Students of the University of Missouri.
Bernard Diggs, director of the Millennium Student Center Operations who recently celebrated his 40th year of service at UMSL, received a Staff Award.
Other honorees included Priscilla Dowden-White, associate professor of history, Candace “Candy” Agnew, executive assistant to the chancellor, and alumnus Anath Boone.
Civil rights activist Norman R. Seay was honored with a tribute video for his efforts to increase enrollment of African-American students at UMSL.
Deborah Burris, director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity at UMSL, presented the Community Contributions awards to former Congressman Bill Clay, Rita Days, director of the St. Louis County election board and a former state senator, and Donald M. Suggs, publisher of The St. Louis American and president of the St. Louis American Foundation.
“African Americans have played such a pivotal role, and this was a way to tell a portion of that story – by celebrating community leaders, staff, students and alumni who just happen to be African-American, but who also happen to have made a very important contribution,” Burris said.
The program also included performances by the ABC Steppers, a musical presentation by Brian Owens and Trio and a tribute to former Chancellor Marguerite Ross Barnet, directed by theater professor Andrea Peoples.
Ciera Simril is a student at University of Missouri–St. Louis and a St. Louis American intern.
