February 1st Starts Black History Month At Missouri History Museum

The Missouri History Museum keeps history alive by continuing to fulfill the programs that remind us of our development and where we we go from here. Here is the schedule for their Kickoff of Black History Month. for more information go to their website at  WWW.MOHISTORY.ORG

Schedule of the Day’s Events

11am: The Messengers: The Evolution of the African American Experience

By Sir Ervin Williams III (Lee Auditorium)

Description: The Messengers is a compelling story told in the form of monologues, music, and poetry. The story begins with Taharqa, a great pharaoh from Africa who was also known as the “Last Great Pharaoh.” Taharqa is awakened by a premonition of what is to come of his great land. When he realizes the inevitable, he immediately forges a plan to cast a spell to send messengers to the future. These messengers are charged with the task of warning other Africans of what the future holds for their civilization. The messengers come back in the form of Nat Turner, Booker T. Washington, Uncle Wright, and Martin Luther King Jr., among other great individuals. This one-man show will be presented by Sir Ervin Williams III and will teach the resilience of the African American spirit throughout history.

12pm: Miles Davis Tribute featuring the Lamar Harris Trio(Grand Hall)

Description: The Lamar Harris Trio performs the songs that made Miles Davis a legend. 

1pm: History of the Black Student Movement (ATT Multipurpose Room)

Description: Panelist MK Stallings and Dr. Stefan Bradley (Saint Louis University) discuss the history of the black student movement that occurred on college campuses throughout the United States, as well as what happened in St. Louis. Dr. Priscilla Dowden-White (University of Missouri–St. Louis) will moderate.

2pm: Afrofuturism: Race, Art, and Politics in the Age of Digital Reproduction (Lee Auditorium)

Description: An emerging contemporary cultural logic of the African diaspora and Africa is reflected in what some scholars refer to as afrofuturism. More specifically, an important characteristic of afrofuturism lies in its aesthetic expression in relation to race, art, and politics. The afrofuturist aesthetic is a creative cultural impulse in response to the emergence of what some scholars refer to as postmodernity and the postcolonial experience. The phenomenon of the afrofuturist aesthetic is important in relation to human development and expression and is tied to a confluence of factors related to the global technosphere that impacts the future of Africa and its diaspora. 

3pm: Celebrating Shirley LeFlore: A reading of her poems(Grand Hall)

Description: Enjoy a tribute to published poet and performing artist Shirley Bradley LeFlore. She has been referred to as poet/professor extraordinaire for creating projects that are not only artistically driven, but that also center on key social issues. LeFlore is one of a handful of poets with a vast background in collaborative/staged poetry with musicians, dancers, and visual arts (including film) as part of the renowned historical Black Artists’ Group (BAG) of St. Louis. Pieces of her work will be recited by local poets in honor of her contribution to literature. 

4pm: Leadership Now! (Lee Auditorium)

Description: A panel featuring several African American leaders from the metropolitan area—including Eugene Dokes (former chair of the St. Charles County Republican Central Committee), Jamala Rogers (activist), and Lewis Reed (President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen)—will discuss the roles of race and politics in their respective leadership positions.