St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green and License Collector Mavis T. Thompson will be among the international, national, and local speakers who will celebrate the life and legacy of Alice Windom at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 26 at the Better Family Life Building, 5415 Page.
Windom passed on Feb. 10, 2022, at the age of 85. She was remembered during a moving memorial service on Feb. 21.
Alice Windom attended Cote Brilliante Elementary School in St. Louis. She graduated from Sumner High School in 1953. She obtained her bachelors’ degree from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and her master’s in social work from the University of Chicago in 1959. She lived in Accra, Ghana from 1962 to 1964 working as a secondary school teacher and a secretary to the Ethiopian Ambassador to Ghana.
According to her biography, Alice Windom was among the historic African American expatriates – W. E. B. DuBois, Maya Angelou, and John Henrik Clarke – who lived in Accra, Ghana.
In 1964, she helped plan the itinerary for Malcolm X’s historic visit to Ghana. Alice Windom was the link that connected W. E. B. DuBois, the Pan African movement, and Malcolm X. She worked for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa from 1964 to 1968 organizing international conferences in seven countries.
She served as an organizer for the Department of Social Welfare in Lusaka, Zambia for three years before returning to the United States in 1972.
Alice Windom not only worked in Africa, but she also traveled extensively in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Central America. Her favorite subject was Africa and the plight of Black people globally. She lectured extensively on the Pan African movement and the ancient Olmec civilizations in Mexico.
The celebration will include drummers, dancers, and music by ST LOU.HITZ. African attire is recommended. Masks and other COVID-19 protocols will be observed.
Additionally, the Saint Louis Chapter of The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists will host a Criminal Justice and Reparations workshop in Windom’s honor at 9 a.m. Saturday at Better Family Life, featuring Frank Chapman and Lew Moye.
“Alice was a dear friend of CBTU,” said CBTU President Jay Ozier.
“The struggle continues, and I look forward to seeing my CBTU family and friends.”
