Emerson announced that it will contribute $5 million over the next seven years to the Missouri Historical Society, which operates the Missouri History Museum and Library and Research Center. Emerson’s gift is part of a $10 million African American History Endowment campaign to enable the Historical Society’s sustained, long-term commitment to collections, museum exhibitions, and community programs focused on African American history of this region for future generations.
The endowment caps a multi-year effort by community leaders and Emerson to create a unique and meaningful platform to tell the important story of African Americans’ role in past and continued growth of St. Louis and the region. More than just looking to the past, the endowment is meant to provide a forum and format for ongoing community education and dialogue to drive
greater understanding of the impact our diversity has on our future.
“African-American history is tightly and deeply interwoven into every part of this community,
and recent events have made clear the need to bring greater understanding to what we have done together and what we can yet accomplish together,” said Dr. Frances Levine, president of the History Museum. “The endowment will further incorporate African American history into the overall narrative of all museum exhibitions and activities.”
Emerson’s announcement of commitment to the African American History Endowment comes during its celebration of its 125th anniversary in business, part of a range of giving initiatives it unveiled to employees, and will support the region by providing the Missouri Historical Society
with the resources to:
Expand on the Missouri Historical Society’s commitment to crossing racial divides through providing historical perspectives to timely issues.
Strengthen and grow the process of collecting and interpreting the region’s African American history.
Continue to serve as a safe space that encourages community dialogue by integrating the history of underrepresented people in its exhibitions and programs.
Utilize the museum’s extensive, diverse collections of artifacts, documents, film, and oral histories in innovative ways to engage teachers, students, and community stakeholders.
Encourage lifelong educational exploration by providing opportunities to study the historical experiences of all people who comprise the region. The endowment secures the museum’s
ability to expand its community and educational programs; strategically collect artifacts and
oral histories; and develop exhibitions to educate, empower, and enlighten visitors. Further,
it supports the development of future museum professionals who will have the potential to
change the history museum field.
“At its heart, the African American History Endowment uses history to create greater
cultural understanding and collaborative solutions to issues in our region and beyond,” said David N. Farr, Emerson chairman and CEO. “There has long been a desire to celebrate our community’s African-American heritage in a special way. Although earlier research and outreach believed possible a separate, stand-alone cultural center in St. Louis, we think today’s endowment concept offers much more.”
Farr praised the early, consistent and persistent efforts of the late Jo Ann Harmon Arnold, former Emerson executive, and James Buford, CEO emeritus of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, in assuring that discussions ultimately would lead to a plan of action.
“While this was not our original plan, it is a viable and exciting path to bring the dream to life. Despite best intentions and efforts, it has been clear for some time now that it would not be possible to raise the sizeable funding necessary to support building and sustaining operations of a stand-alone center as first hoped,” Buford said. “All parties to this effort have continued to hold a strong commitment from the start. By coming together as partners and with a sense of community, we believe have developed a win-win solution.”
The Missouri Historical Society will be seeking community and corporate donations for the remainder of the endowment. In the first year of the endowment, the Museum also will apply for additional gifts and grants from other sources to supplement the costs associated with the new collecting initiative and increased programming. In addition to securing grant funding, the Museum will include African American history in some of its current offerings such as its Leisure Series (senior programming) and documentary screenings.
One of the most important elements and early elements of work under the endowment will be the Collecting Initiative — an ongoing commitment to collecting material related to the experiences of African Americans who call the metropolitan St. Louis region home and have shaped its character. The historic significance of recent events in the region have prompted the Missouri Historical Society to intensify its collecting efforts so that critical artifacts and collections are not lost to commercial collectors and other museums.
Through the years, the Missouri Historical Society has become the guardian of several prominent African American collections, including those of Civil War soldier Elijah Madison, dancer and activist Katherine Dunham, attorney and civic leader Homer G. Phillips, and educator Herman Dreer. However, there are significant gaps among the collections.
Levine noted that it is important to also document the everyday lives of African Americans in St. Louis. A collecting initiative would partner with individuals as well as St. Louis African American institutions—churches, fraternal organizations, social organizations and families—to identify unrecognized treasures and digitize the materials so they can be shared with the public and preserved for future generations.
“The Missouri Historical Society will build from our relationship with the African American community, demystifying the process of how we care for and manage collections, and demonstrating that we value and honor the donations being entrusted to us,” Dr. Levine said.
Future efforts under the endowment will include:
An Oral History Fellows program
Exhibit development
Programming, including a civic rights lecture and symposium and other
community programs
Next generation digital innovation
A museum studies scholarship program
A K-12 education program
More information about the endowment, the collecting initiative and other programs can be found by contacting objects@mohistory.org.