For nine years, the St. Louis Story Stitchers have told the stories of their lives using rap, rhythm, spoken word, singing and dance.
The youthful artist collective will showcase its latest work this weekend at several events marking Juneteenth. The performances are part of the organization’s 2022 “Pick the City Up Tour.”
“St. Louis often gets a bad rap, and so ‘Pick the City Up’ is about balancing that out with the more positive things,” Story Stitcher Youth Programming Coordinator Branden Lewis told St. Louis on the Air.
That doesn’t mean the organization turns a blind eye on the issues affecting the region, he added.
“If we need to talk about an issue that's ugly … we're not going to stray away from talking about it just because it's not pretty. We understand that having uncomfortable conversations are a part of bringing change.”
Lewis joined Friday’s St. Louis on the Air alongside Story Stitchers singer She'kinah Taylor to preview their Juneteenth performances.
Related Events
What: Juneteenth Celebration at the Craft Alliance in the Delmar Maker District
When: 12:30 p.m.-1 p.m. June 18
Where: 5080 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108
What: Juneteenth Celebration in Old North St. Louis
When: 2:30 p.m.-3 p.m. June 18
Where: 1307 Montgomery, St. Louis, MO 63106
What: StitchCast Studio Season III Finale
When: 6 p.m.-10 p.m. June 24
Where: 3524 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103
What: Juneteenth Celebration in Ferguson at the True Vine Missionary Baptist Church
When: 1 p.m.-1:30 p.m. June 26
Where: 8420 Hill Ave, Ferguson, MO 63121
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by Sarah Fenske and produced by Emily Woodbury, Kayla Drake, Danny Wicentowski and Alex Heuer. Avery Rogers is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
