For Brittany Raji Alberty, becoming a Memory Teller for 4TheVille was not just about sharing history — it was also about reclaiming her own.
Alberty’s great-grandmother owned three stores in The Ville known as Garner’s Food Shop. Alberty said her interest in history drew her to the program and led her to explore her family’s connection to the neighborhood.
“I was drawn to this work because I’ve been in love with history since I was young. When I saw the opportunity to rediscover a place that my family once called home,” Alberty said. “Joining the Memory Teller program wasn’t just about telling stories — it was about learning my own history as a 4th-generation entrepreneur helping to carry that truth forward.”
4TheVille recently completed a six-month training program for its newest cohort of community storytellers who will help interpret the history of The Ville neighborhood.
As part of its expansion, the organization announced the hiring of Marvin-Alonzo Greer as its new Cultural Heritage Director.
Alberty and Tierra “Tee” Parks were also formally introduced as the organization’s newest Memory Tellers.
Greer, a public historian and interpreter, will oversee the group’s cultural preservation and tourism initiatives. He said he plans to build a storytelling model rooted in community members’ lived experiences.
“Returning to St. Louis to join 4theVille is critical at this moment because we are in the midst of a renaissance. Our community creating, building and strategizing in new ways and learning from our past to build a better future is key in preserving our history and culture,” Greer said.
He said community memory plays a central role in how history is presented.
“I was speaking to a community member and she described the smell and texture of the fried catfish in a restaurant that was in The Ville when she was growing up. That detail and emotion can only come with hearing those lived experiences, and it makes our history more tangible and relevant,” Greer said.
The new Memory Tellers will help lead 4TheVille walking tours and other educational programs focused on Black history in St. Louis and other Black historical neighborhoods.
During the six-month training, Alberty said her understanding of the neighborhood her ancestors once called home was reshaped by learning more about Black self-sufficiency.
“What stood out to me most was just how deeply community-engaged The Ville was. It was truly a live-work-play environment,” Alberty said.
She described her family as part of a legacy of Black professionals who built businesses and institutions during segregation, “owning homes, building institutions that empowered and employed their community.”
Alberty said that while the spirit of community care remains in North St. Louis, much of the self-sustaining infrastructure has declined.
The new Memory Tellers’ first assignment will be serving as exhibit guides for Mill Creek: Black Metropolis at the Missouri History Museum, a partnership between 4TheVille and the Missouri Historical Society.
Alberty said she views her role as a way to help reclaim stories that are often overlooked.
“When I guide tours, I’m thinking about my generation and the generations before us who didn’t even know these places existed. I talk to people all the time who say, ‘I never knew Mill Creek was real.’… My new role is to help reclaim that history. To tell these stories with pride, to help people see that this isn’t just a St. Louis story — it’s part of Black experience in American history,” she said.
Aaron Williams, president of 4TheVille, said the expansion is part of the organization’s effort to increase local capacity for sharing the neighborhood’s history. Applications for the next docent cohort are expected to open in spring 2026.
Greer said the program is focused on strengthening public understanding of the city’s past.
“We don’t brag about the phenomenal people and advancements that came out of our great city. … Our Memory Tellers will speak life back into our ancestors, with the goal to build pride, appreciation and spark a fire in the hearts of our community to keep building, keep working together and keep lifting as we climb,” Greer said.
Alberty said she hopes visitors leave with a fuller understanding of both the achievements and losses tied to St. Louis’ Black history.
“I hope visitors walk away with the same sense of pride we feel — and also the grief we carry,” she said. “Because the truth is, many of the buildings, institutions and cultural landmarks that made St. Louis a national leader — the firsts of their kind — are gone… I want them to understand the magnitude of what was lost and the brilliance that existed here.”
4TheVille was formed to support cultural preservation and community development efforts in The Ville. The organization’s work expanded after a devastating tornado struck the neighborhood in May, increasing attention on preserving local history and culture.