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RESOURCES:
– Missouri History Museum webpage on the #1 in Civil Rights Exhibit
– KSDK 5 on Your Side’s story on actress bringing the #1 in Civil Rights Exhibit to Life
– Art Holliday’s vignette on Pearl Maddox
– See video content below

A new exhibit at the Missouri History Museum, #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis, honors St. Louis’s pivotal role in the fight for racial equality. Maryville University is a signature sponsor of the exhibit, which features historical artifacts, photographs, oral histories, live theater and original works by local African American artists.

#1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis, runs through April 2018. In conjunction with the exhibit, a calendar of activities for the Maryville University community is forthcoming.

“The prominence of St Louis in the ongoing fight for civil rights is something to be remembered, honored and celebrated,” said Mark Lombardi, PhD, president of Maryville University. “We are proud to play a part in bringing this important story forward, and shining a beacon on what is the fundamental American struggle for equality and justice.”

A group of Maryville students attended the exhibit’s March opening reception, including Brittany Pomilee, pre-med major and secretary of the Association of Black Collegians student organization. Pomilee grew up in the St. Louis area.

“This exhibit was by far the most inspirational and thought-provoking experience in my collegiate career,” she said. “It embodies the strength, determination and passion for equal rights among people of all color in our city.”

#1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis was inspired by the work of Judge Nathan B. Young, an early chronicler of local African American history, who once said, “If one American city had to be chosen for a complete study of the Civil Rights movement — that city would properly be St. Louis.”

“This exhibit means a tremendous amount to the St. Louis community, and especially resonates with the African-American citizens,” said Pomilee. “It educated me, as well as my peers, on the Civil Rights movement that took place in our own backyards.”

Watch our Facebook Live video of the evening’s festivities, including an interview with the great-great granddaughter of Dred Scott: