The history of civil rights in St. Louis is compelling and complex.
More than 245,000 people have visited an exhibit at the Missouri History Museum detailing the area’s civil rights history. It closes April 15 after a 13-month run.
“I think it tells us that people are really interested in St. Louis history and that they will turn out when you present that history to them,” explained Gwen Moore. “I think that we’ve done that in a very compelling way.”
Moore is the museum’s curator of urban landscape and community identity and joined St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh on Tuesday. She also joined the program in March 2017 to talk about many of the important events and people in St. Louis’ civil rights history.
The exhibit is “#1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis.”
“There was a feeling that we didn’t have a civil rights history, or we didn’t have much of a civil rights history,” Moore said. “And of course we knew that it was not only a long history, a very rich history, one that had a national impact and we wanted to tell that story.”
The museum is marking the final week with a series of special events.
Related Events
What: Closing Celebration
When: Various times April 8-15
Where: Missouri History Museum (5700 Lindell Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63112)
What: Martin Luther King Bell Toll
When: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 4
Where: Outside of Missouri History Museum (5700 Lindell Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63112)
