Community Curation 2024: St. Louis Register for Events Below!
The Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History will be in St. Louis for our 2024 Community Curation Program!
During the month of September we will be working with great community partners in St. Louis and East St. Louis, developing engaging programming, and digitizing materials for local institutions, organizations, and community members.
Events
Email NMAAHC-ccpstlouis@si.edu for questions about event registration
Audiovisual Digitization
Saturday, September 7 - Sunday, September 29 - Register Here
Our digitization truck is at Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School (701 North Spring Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63108)
Bring your most treasured home movies, home videos, and audio tapes to have them digitized by Smithsonian conservation staff members. Media digitization will convert your precious memories into digital files you can watch on your computer and share on social media.
Over the course of 1 week, Smithsonian staff members will convert 5 items of your choosing before returning the originals to you along with a custom NMAAHC thumb drive with the digital files.
Due to the time constraints associated with media digitization Smithsonian staff are only able to handle 5 items per family. You are welcome to bring more to your drop off appointment and staff members can help recommend which items you may want to prioritize.
Smithsonian media conservation staff can handle a wide range of media formats, for example:
- Motion picture film: 8mm, Super 8mm, 16mm
- Video: VHS, BetaMax, Hi-8, MiniDV
- Audio: Audio Cassettes, ¼ inch reel-to-reel, DAT
- Plus, many others!
The Smithsonian media conservation staff does not digitize photos, documents, or 3D objects.
Flat Item Digitization
St. Louis County Library - Clark Family Branch - Memory Lab - 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131-3598
This year we've partnered with the St. Louis County Library (SLCL) Clark Family Branch to offer digitization of photos, documents, slides and negatives. The Memory Lab is a do-it-yourself digitization space located in the Emerson History and Genealogy Center on the 2nd floor of the library. Memory Lab staff will be on site to examine items before digitization and provide guidance during the process.
Read all the details for planning your visit and the utilizing the Memory Lab's resources HERE.
NMAAHC thumb drives are available for storage of the final digitized materials by request, ask the SLCL staff for one at your appointment!
gOD-Talk Documentary Screening
Thursday, September 5, 6:00pm
Dunham Hall Theater, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville - 50 Hairpin Drive, Edwardsville, IL 62026
Sunday, September 8, 2:45pm
Hi-Pointe Theatre - 1005 McCausland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63117
This thought-provoking film explores the intersection of religion and culture in African American history, providing a deeper understanding of the role of faith in shaping the African American experience and its impact on our world today. The panel discussion below took place after a recent screening in NMAAHC's Oprah Winfrey Theater and features Teddy Reeves (Producer/NMAAHC Museum Curator of Religion), Kim Moir (Executive Producer/Director) and principals from the film.
Freedmen's Bureau Search Portal - Missouri Resources
Friday, September 6, 12:00pm
St. Louis County Library - Natural Bridge Branch - 7606 Natural Bridge Rd, St. Louis, MO 63121
Saturday, September 7, 2:00pm
Des Lee Auditorium - Missouri History Museum - 5700 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112
This workshop will introduce participants to the Freedmen’s Bureau Search Portal created by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). This comprehensive search platform is designed to help family historians and genealogists search for their ancestors, and to assist scholars and students in researching various topics found in over 1.7 million pages of Freedmen’s Bureau records.
Genealogy Program
Saturday, September 7, 10:00am
Des Lee Auditorium, Missouri History Museum - 5700 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112
A Holy Inheritance: The History of Black Catholics in St. Louis with Winnie Sullivan
This program will tell the story of African American Catholics in St. Louis, tracing their arrival in the area from before the city's founding to the present day. Recalling this history reveals the resilience of Black Catholics who, despite hardship, persistently sought their rightful place within the community of Catholic faithful. The presentation will honor the lives and contributions to the Catholic Church of these African American ancestors and will describe resources available to aid further historical exploration.
From the Riverbanks to the Plains: The Exodusters Movement in St. Louis and Kansas, 1879-1881
Recalling the Exoduster Movement in 1879, the presenters (Doretha K. Williams, Jim Vincent, and Dr. Bryan Jack) will examine the lives of Black people who fled southern states for “free soil.” Known as Exodusters, over 16,000 African Americans, primarily former slaves, embarked on a mass exodus from the oppressive conditions of the post-Civil War South between the 1870s and 1880s. Specifically, the panelist will consider the Exodusters who fled using the Mississippi River pass to reach St. Louis before making their way to Kansas. Following their path, the presenters will end the discussion referencing the Exodusters who found their way to Kansas and free soil.
A Seat at the Table
Thursday, September 12, 7:00pm - Register Here
Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, The Rosebud - 2658 Delmar Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63103
This event promises to be an engaging and informative experience for anyone interested in the preservation of historic Black cemeteries. The program will feature a panel of archivists, librarians, genealogists, and researchers dedicated to preserving and maintaining archives and artifacts that connect present-day populations with their ancestral communities. Through their work, these professionals help foster a deeper sense of identity and heritage—a true act of social justice. So please mark your calendars and join us for this exciting opportunity to learn more about the rich history of St. Louis and enjoy a menu featuring local favorites.
After the conversation, diners turn to each other to engage in an interactive activity designed to continue reflection on the evening's topic. Through this program, participants can make new connections, exchange resources, and develop new perspectives. Most importantly, participants conclude the evening prepared to apply insights gained from having "a seat at the table" to their own lives.
Historically Speaking: Preserving Historic Black Neighborhoods
Saturday, September 14, 6:00pm - Register Here
YWCA Metro St. Louis, Phyllis Wheatley Heritage Center - 2711 Locust St, St. Louis, MO 63103
Historically Speaking is a recurring program series that responds to significant events affecting the African American community. Join us in St. Louis for this insightful event to learn about the preservation efforts of historic Black neighborhoods and engage with thought leaders dedicated to celebrating and maintaining African American heritage through the built environment.
We will be joined in conversation by NMAAHC Deputy Director Michelle Commander whose research and curatorial expertise befits the contemporary preservation landscape in St. Louis.
The video below from 2023 features author Rachel Swarns discussing her book The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church
Personal Digital Archiving Workshop
Thursday, September 19, 6:00pm - Register Here
St. Louis Public Library, Julia Davis Library - 4415 Natural Bridge Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63115
Are you your family's go-to archivist? Have you been left a mass of materials that you're unsure how to care for? If so, then this workshop is for you! Join us and learn how to care for, preserve, catalog and digitize your film, video, documents and photos with audiovisual archivist CK Ming. This workshop will give participants best practices, resources and services to preserve their family history long-term.
Collecting Family Oral Histories
Saturday, September 21, 1:00pm - Register Here
The Griot Museum of Black History - 2505 St Louis Ave, St. Louis, MO 63106
Kelly Elaine Navies, Museum Specialist in Oral History at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will discuss the practice of oral history and how it can be used to support and deepen family history research. She will offer guidelines and strategies for creating and implementing a family oral history project. Navies will also share clips from her own family oral history work.
Note from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville: "The images of Miles Davis on the graphic have been extracted from diverse sources from family albums to professional photo shoots. They are used here to convey Miles’ multifaceted modes under the fair use doctrine."
Miles Davis: Modes and Modalities, 1935-1990
Exhibit Opening
Wednesday, October 2, 4:00pm - Register Here
St. Clair County Historical Society, Victorian Home Museum - 701 E Washington St, Belleville, IL 62220
Irreducible and indescribable, Miles Davis was a complex individual whose groundbreaking music was continually evolving. This exhibit explores Miles’ engagement with innovative musicians and new technologies, as well as Miles’ personality rooted in his childhood in East St. Louis and tempered by the rapidly changing cultural milieu during the five decades of his musical career. Prince Wells III, Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Music at Southern Illinois University, will make a brief presentation at the opening.
Students at Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School in the 1970s
Image courtesy of Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School
St. Louis Media
For questions and interview requests related to the St. Louis Community Curation Project, please fill out the online media request form here, and a member of the museum’s media team will contact you.
January Site Visit
The Smith Center has been meeting virtually with St. Louis community partners and in January we traveled to the city to start planning for our month-long program this fall.
Meeting with collaborators representing Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis Preservation Crew, Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, Descendants of the St. Louis University Enslaved Inc., and Ozark Vitality
Discussing the preservation of St. Louis historic sites, such as Washington Park Cemetery
Almetta Jordan, Park Superintendent at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, showing our team sheet music, piano rolls, and other materials in their collection
March Site Visit
In March we returned to St. Louis to meet more collaborators. We started by engaging in a community conversation at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). Dr. Howard Rambsy gave us a tour of the Eugene B. Redmond Collection and Learning Center, which included photos, personal artifacts, and the complete Third World Press catalog of books sent to SIUE by Haki Madhubuti.
A poster of Eugene B. Redmond photography on display at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
A photo of NMAAHC Director Kevin Young, taken by Eugene B. Redmond
The typewriter Eugene B. Redmond used to write Drumvoices: The Mission of Afro American Poetry
We were able to continue our Conversations on the Road series by interviewing Eugene B. Redmond. Later, we traveled to Uhuru House on Florissant Avenue to interview Chairman Omali Yeshitela and Deputy Chair Ona Zene Yeshitela.
Eugene B. Redmond and Sterling Warren (Smith Center Digital Content Producer)
Deputy Chair Ona Zene Yeshitela, Chairman Omali Yeshitela, and Sterling Warren
Later we visited Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School, connect with the St. Louis Preservation Crew, and get a tour of Historic East St. Louis with Dr. Treasure Shields Redmond. We finished our site visit by learning from and planning with the Historical Society of Brooklyn, Illinois, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, East Saint Louis Arts & Culture Coalition and the St. Louis Chapter of The Links.
YWCA Visit and Meeting
The Smith Center team also made a site visit to the Phyllis Wheatley Heritage Center at the YWCA of Metropolitan St. Louis, where we introduced the staff to the Community Curation Program. Over a wonderful lunch, we discussed our plans for September with Aimee Frey, Chief Development Officer; Lisa Marucci, Chief Marketing Officer; Aaren Muex, Wheatley Center Events Manager; Eulonda Nevels, Chief Administrative Officer, and Dr. Cheryl Watkins, CEO and President. AJ Lawrence, CK Ming and Angela Winand learned about the painstaking renovation of the YWCA’s meeting space and the creation of an exhibit detailing the Heritage Center’s own unique history in St. Louis, as the one of the oldest Black chapters of the YWCA.
Mrs. Patricia Penelton, current President of the St. Louis branch’s Committee on Administration (COA) and member of the Board of Directors, as a steward of that unique history, provided us with more background on some of the women she has worked with and continues to lead. At racially segregated Phillis Wheatley branches of the YWCA across the country, the COA managed day-to-day operations, raised money to keep doors open through financial crises, and determined the branch’s priorities serving Black women and girls since its beginnings in 1911. Today, YWCA has the only continuously intact Committee on Administration in the country, and we are excited to be able to put a spotlight on this history and help to preserve and digitize some of the organization’s records.
YWCA of Metropolitan St. Louis - Phyllis Wheatley Heritage Center
Photo: https://www.ywcastl.org/events/phyllis-wheatley-heritage-center/gallery/
Today, YWCA has the only continuously intact Committee on Administration in the country, and we are excited to be able to put a spotlight on this history and help to preserve and digitize some of the organization’s records. We also learned about their ambitions for the future, including the creation of new Innovation Districts in metropolitan St. Louis, as centers for connecting their constituents to elevated career opportunities and technical training, while continuing to provide Head Start and Early Head Start education programs and crisis services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Our hosts concluded this initial meeting by extending an invitation to their Cheers to 120 Years! gala celebrating a well-deserved major anniversary.
St. Louis Partners
Katherine Dunham Centers for the Arts and Humanities
The Griot Museum of Black History
Scott Joplin House State Historic Site
Missouri Historical Society
John M. Olin Library - Washington University in St. Louis
Harris-Stowe State University (Vashon Center / AT&T Library and Technology Resource Center)
George B. Vashon Museum
Greenwood Cemetery Preservation Association
St. Louis Preservation Crew - Washington Park Cemetery
Historical Society of Brooklyn, IL
Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis
East Saint Louis Arts & Culture Coalition
The Links - Archway (MO) Chapter
The Links - Gateway (IL) Chapter
The Links - St. Louis Chapter
Friends of Father Dickson Cemetery
St. Louis African American History & Genealogy Society
Descendants of the St. Louis University Enslaved
Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis
Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Washington University in St. Louis - Film and Media Archive
Annie Malone Historical Society
Homer G. Phillips Hospital and Nurses Alumni
House of Miles East St. Louis
St. Louis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
4theVille
The Dred Scott Heritage Foundation
YWCA Metro St. Louis - Phillis Wheatley Heritage Center
East St. Louis Historical Society
Sumner High School Alumni Association
St. Louis County Library - Natural Bridge Branch
St. Louis County Library - Clark Family Branch
St. Louis Public Library - Julia Davis Library
Share Your Story
The Community Curation Platform provides a unique opportunity for individuals, families, and community groups to share their stories as part of the Museum's online community collection. Begin sharing your stories today by creating an online account with the Museum and uploading your digitized photos and videos. Visit our Submission Guidelines to learn tips on digitizing and what makes for a great community story.