Storytelling Program for Kids Celebrates Family Diversity at the Missouri History Museum

The Missouri History Museum’s storytelling program seeks to engage children ages 2-7 and their families in museum settings by using traditional and contemporary stories. In anticipation of our upcoming special exhibit RACE: Are We So Different, this weekend’s storytelling has an underlying goal: to break down stereotypes of how a family should look. The museum’s programs draw diverse family audiences, and this is a chance for children to see characters who also come from a variety of families. The stories we’ll tell this Friday at 10:30am and Saturday at 1:00pm acknowledge interracial families, adoption and same sex parents. While these themes are woven in naturally without carrying extra weight, the emphasis is on family members interacting in a positive manner. The following books will be featured:

Family by Isabell Monk is the story of a girl who attends a potluck dinner with her maternal African American family and brings a dish that is a tradition in her paternal white family.

The Boat in the Tree by Tim Wynne-Jones addresses sibling rivalry between a boy and his younger adopted brother and the imaginative bond that they eventually develop.

Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story by Kaitlyn Considine is the story of a girl who learns how to properly care for her cat through the guidance of her two moms.

Don’t miss this fun family program! Kids will also have the chance to make a craft that reflects their own family.

For more information about Youth and Family Programs at the Missouri History Museum and to sign up for email newsletters, visit http://www.mohistory.org/education-and-events/youth-family.

Policing Black Activism

Join us for a discussion of how black activism has been historically treated by the authorities. Watch selections from the acclaimed documentary Eyes on the Prize II: A Nation of Law? (1968–1971), followed by a panel discussion with Percy Green, civil rights activist; Jamala Rogers, newspaper columnist and community organizer; and Norman Seay, civil rights activist and founding member of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in St. Louis. Dr. Sowande’
Mustakeem, Washington University, moderates.

Visit www.mohistory.org for more information.

[St. Louis Beacon] Living apart: Despites decades of court cases, St. Louis remains one of the most segregated cities

Missouri has been at the heart of the nation's story of race from the first chapter, starting with entering the Union as part of the Missouri Compromise. So it isn't surprising that important chapters of the history of housing segregation played out on Missouri soil -- and that today St. Louis remains today one of the most segregated cities in America. -->

[St. Louis Beacon] Take five: Gyo Obata and Michael Adams, sons of two renowned artists, discuss Japanese internment

Gyo Obata and Michael Adams share many memories -- life as the sons of an artist and a photographer, Chiura Obata and Ansel Adams; time in their youth exploring Yosemite; their fathers' friendship; and the impact that Japanese internment during World War II had on both men and the country. This Friday, both men will speak at Washington University about the Japanese internment and racial profiling. -->

The CAREER Forum

This is going to be Fun! Free!

THE DETAILS:

On Thursday, Oct. 1, at 6pm, THE CiTY FORUM is partnering with the Missouri History Museum to present:

"The CAREER Forum"

- A FREE, 100-min. town hall forum about counteracting "-isms" (subtle/overt demographic differences) in our work environments (i.e. Age-ism, sexism, discrimination based on sexuality, racism, and other "-isms"). In a talk-show-like format, we will discuss several scenarios in which demographic differences can cause career difficulties. The audience and a small panel of experts will then collectively decide the appropriate response. This forum will be preceded by a brief networking session.

Networking (with complimentary light refreshments and snacks): 6-6:45pm

Town Hall Forum (with 3 expert panelists and 2 host-moderators): 6:45-8:35pm

moderated by:

Sonji Young, Civic Engagement Director - The Engagency Group, LLC, and

Reena Hajat, Executive Director - Diversity Awareness Partnership

Featured Panelists:

Dr. David Kaplan (SLU Cook Business School - Diversity),

Mr. Reggie Farrar (HR Manager - Express Scripts), &

Dr. Traice Webb-Bradley (Psychologist - SIUE)

This Forum will be held in the MacDermott Grand Hall at the Missouri History Museum

at the intersection of Lindell & DeBaliviere in Forest Park, St. Louis, Mo.

This Event is also supported by URBAN LEAGUE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS of METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS.

[St. Louis Beacon] The view from here: Students talk about how race has shaped their education

Each month as a part of our Race, Frankly series, we've told the stories of regular people and their experiences. "The View From Here" continues with a slightly different set of voices -- students. From an 11-year-old black boy being raised by white parents, to a young Iraqi woman, race plays a vital role in education, sometimes hindering, sometimes enriching and sometimes simply making people very aware of who they are. -->

See baby discriminate

Kids as young as 6 months judge others based on skin color. What's a
parent to do?

"The rule still holds true: more diversity translates into more
division among students. Those increased opportunities to interact are
also, effectively, increased opportunities to reject each other. And
that is what's happening."

Full article in Newsweek -->

Traces of the Trade Breaks the Silence

I have seen many documentaries about slavery. They have all touched me, saddened me and angered me, but I can't say that I have ever been able to relate to any of them. How could I? And then I saw Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North. While this film reveals a largely unknown aspect of the slave trade, its focus is less the slaves than the slave owners, the legacy of the trade, and the silence that is so frequently inherent in the world of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. And that last part is something I can definitely understand. When filmmaker Katrina Browne and nine other members of the DeWolf family tree set out to squarely face their family's slave-trading history, the tension that results is palpable. Although my own family heritage, made up mostly of solidly middle-class teachers and watchmakers and the like, bears little resemblance to the East Coast affluence of the DeWolf lineage, I immediately recognized the polite reticence that hovers like fog around their family. They are good at being nice. At keeping secrets. Families like theirs (and mine) don't make scenes. We just keep quiet. Which is why stories like this one have taken so long to come to light. This is not to say that every member of the WASP community is sitting by complacently. As this film clearly demonstrates, the Episcopal Church and many other churches have opened their eyes, ears, mouths and hearts to gain an understanding of the past and begin a dialogue about the future. But they are working against a legacy of courteous silence, and for many of us it is this deep-seated fear of confrontation that zips our lips when race becomes an issue. I applaud Katrina Browne and her relatives for confronting an ugly family truth and having the courage to not only get upset about it, but also to use it as a catalyst for further action in their communities. Katrina and her fellow descendants do not all come to the same conclusions about where we go from here, but they have started the conversation, and that is the first step. This family's journey was not about blaming themselves for the choices of their ancestors, but about acknowledging the privilege that those choices have afforded them, even 200 years after the fact. It is about having the nerve to come together to break the silence, stop being so polite, and start talking, even at the risk of angering other members of your family. I wish we were all so brave.

Traces of the Trade

Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North at the Missouri History Museum
in Forest Park

Friday SEPTEMBER 18 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Lee Auditorium FREE

Presented by the Missouri History Museum in conjunction with the St. Louis Beacon and KETC/Channel 9 and in partnership with The Commission on Dismantling Racism for the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri

www.tracesofthetrade.org

This Emmy-nominated film is a unique and disturbing journey of discovery into the history and “living consequences” of slavery. One might think the tragedy of this shameful episode in American history has been exhaustively told. Katrina Browne thought the same, until she discovered that her slave-trading ancestors from Rhode Island were not an aberration.
Rather, they were just the most prominent actors in the North’s vast complicity in slavery, buried in myths of Northern innocence. Browne, a direct descendant of Mark Anthony
DeWolf, the first slaver in the family, took the unusual step of writing to 200 descendants, inviting them to journey with her from Rhode Island to Ghana to Cuba and back, recreating the
Triangle Trade that made the DeWolfs the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. Nine relatives signed up. This film is Browne’s spellbinding account of the journey that resulted.

Running time: 86 minutes.

Stay after the film for a discussion with filmmaker Katrina Browne.

Please note that September 18 is also the night of the Balloon Glow in Forest Park. Plan to arrive early to avoid traffic congestion.

MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM

Lindell & DeBaliviere in Forest Park

(314) 746-4599 • www.mohistory.org


[St. Louis Beacon] The view from here: In the classroom, then and now, race plays a role in learning

Readers of the St. Louis Beacon share their own personal experiences with race and education -- and show how they learned more than just their ABCs and times tables. Their stories help demonstrate that things can look different, depending on where you stand. -->

[St. Louis Beacon] Students discuss solutions to closing the achievement gap between blacks, whites

Parents and educators have plenty to say about the achievement gap between black and white students, but seldom are students asked about it. When they are, though, they have plenty to say -- from everything from parental encouragement to individual hard work to more relevant reading lists. -->

[St. Louis Beacon] When comedy isn't funny

Laughter might be good medicine, but one filmmaker questions the benefit when it reinforces stereotypes. Will Gorham (right) brings "Clean Mic: Laughing Until It Hurts" to the Missouri History Museum Thursday night and will be there with Dick Gregory and Sam Beamon for a discussion after the movie is shown. -->

[St. Louis Beacon] Facing up to racism: Training program for educators focuses on straight talk

Facing up to racism in the schools, especially among teachers and administrators, is no easy task. That may be why Educational Equity Consultants, which has worked with a number of local school districts, prefers blunt honesty. It trains educators not just to be aware of racial issues in the schools but how to address them head-on. -->

[St. Louis Beacon] Teachable moments happen too often

A lawyer and a professor at Saint Louis University Law School heard the story of the arrest of Henry Louis Gates and was sorry school wasn't in session so she could use this teachable moment. But she has no shortage of teachable moments to use - from her own family. -->

[St. Louis Beacon] The color of acceptance: Wildwood family 'adopts' deseg student from city

David and Alice Grainger weren't trying to change the world when they invited Antonio Evans, a child from the city of St. Louis who was participating in the "deseg" program, to spend the night at their suburban home several years ago. In time, Evans would become a permanent member of the Grainger household, living with the family from grades 7 through 12. -->

[St. Louis Beacon] Separate tables: Why black and white high schoolers sit apart in the cafeteria

Walk into any high school cafeteria, and you're likely to see the white students and black students sitting at separate tables. Does this separation tell us anything about race relations and education -- and the lack of social interactions across racial lines? Or is it more innocent, a case of kids wanting to be with people like themselves? -->

[St. Louis Beacon] Stirring up the melting pot: Students speak out on race

Schools are, and have long been, a melting pot for assimilating children into mainstream America. As schools become more diverse, they've also placed more emphasis on social responsibilities: encouraging fair play and respect for all students. The following stories from students taking part in the Cultural Leadership program explain why teaching tolerance continues to be an important mission for every school. -->

[St. Louis Beacon] Letter: Where's the conversation if you are neither black nor white?

Faye Chiou says she was pleased to see the exchange that took place at the program presented by the Beacon, the Missouri History Museum and KETC. But as she watched "Conversations in Black and White: A Dialogue in Race Relations," she wondered whether there was space for someone who is "Other." -->

KWMU interview on the project

KWMU interview with Beacon reporter Kristen Hare on the Race, Frankly series. -->

[St. Louis Beacon] In St. Louis, students struggled for educational equality

If the promise of public education has been its role as the great equalizer, it's a promise that historically wasn't kept to black kids. But despite that, African-Americans have fought for educational opportunity -- from Rev. Meachum's pre-Civil War schools on boats in the Mississippi River to the ongoing voluntary desegregation program. For the next two months, the Beacon looks at race and education -- the promise of integration and the continuing disparities in achievement. -->

Nina Jablonski breaks the illusion of skin color

Nina Jablonski says that differing skin colors are simply our bodies' adaptation to varied climates and levels of UV exposure. Charles Darwin disagreed with this theory, but she explains, that's because he did not have access to NASA. -->

[St. Louis Beacon] Conversations in Black and White video

On Wednesday night, the Beacon, KETC - Channel 9 and the Missouri History Museum kicked off our project on race with an event at the Missouri History Museum. The evening featured music, performances and discussion. Here's a sampling of what happened.

Is Harvard scholar's arrest at his home a case of racial profiling?

UPDATE: Charges against Henry Louis Gates Jr. were dropped Tuesday after allegations of racism. Read the latest here, then add your own comments.

[St. Louis Beacon] Are you color blind? Do you even want to be?

[St. Louis Beacon] The view from here: Personal perspectives on race, part 2

When the Beacon sent out a query on our Public Insight Network asking about people's experiences with race, we got more than 100 responses from old and young, black, white, Hispanic, American Indian and foreign-born. Here, we share some of those stories, from a black woman who saw a Middle Eastern man refused service, to an Iranian family business who found community support when they least expected it. Part 2 of two parts. -- >

[St. Louis Beacon] The view from here: Personal perspectives on race, part 1

When the Beacon sent out a query on our Public Insight Network asking about people's experiences with race, we got more than 100 responses from old and young, black, white, Hispanic, American Indian and foreign-born. Here, we share some of those stories, from a black woman who saw a Middle Eastern man refused service, to a white woman who refused to inherit her family's prejudices. Part 1 of two parts. -- >

The Lloyd Gaines story remains a mystery

After the University of Missouri was ordered to admit Gaines to its law school in 1938, despite the fact that it barred black students, he disappeared and was never seen again. You can read the New York Times version of the story here.

[St. Louis Beacon] Profile: Frankie Freeman led legal efforts for civil rights

Frankie Freeman, 92, became a lawyer at a time when few blacks and few women -- much less black women -- entered the profession. She dedicated herself to public service, as the lead NAACP attorney in a case that ended discrimination in public housing, a presidential appointee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and a member of numerous charitable boards. In her spare time, she enjoys a blues cruise or two. -->

Race-related swimming pool incident brings echoes of the past

President of suburban Philadelphia swim club says children were barred for safety concerns, not racial ones -- >

[St. Louis Beacon] The assumption game

[Missouri History Museum] Event: Conversations in Black and White

join us for an evening of thought-provoking theatre exploring assumptions and identity. Performed by the museum's Teens Make History actors, these vignettes address an array of topics, including a recent St. Louis Post-Dispatch article illustrated with an interracial couple kissing. Enjoy a DJ spinning in th background while your conversations are sparked by the scenes. Event details >

[St. Louis Beacon] Why do we need to talk frankly about race?

Race is a social construction. Science tells us that there is more commonality across what we know as racial groups than within groups. Beacon columnist Dr. Kira Hudson Banks looks at why we continue to see race, when it has no scientific basis? >

[St. Louis Beacon] Why this project?

Editor's note from Beacon editor Margaret Freivogel on why the Beacon is embarking on this project >

Upcoming Events

Tuesday 10/13, 6pm - At the next desk - Join the Beacon and the Royale for a lightly moderated discussion series on issues effecting the St. Louis region. This week: Have you had found difficult situations at work that sprang from racial or ethnic differences? We would like to hear them and to discuss them frankly. We would like to talk especially about difficulty getting jobs in the first place, and the obstacles found on corporate ladders for non-whites. Presented by the St. Louis Beacon and The Royale. In conjuction with the yearlong series of content and events produced by Missouri History Museum and the Beacon in conjunction and KETC/Channel 9. More >

Friday, 10/16, 6-7:30 pm - The Children Left Behind Aram A. Schvey, JD, Staff Attorney & Teaching Fellow at Georgetown University of Law will give a presentation on anti-Roma discrimination, which focuses on his work on educational segregation of Roma children. Mr. Schvey teaches international human rights at Georgetown Law School and is serving as a Fellow in the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic. Danforth Campus, Umrath Lounge. Presented by The Center for the Study of Ethics and Human Values, Washington University, as part of its "Ethnic Profiling - A Challenge to Democracy" series. More >


Monday, 10/19, 7-8:30 pm - Classical Music and Poetry Reading Musicians from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will perform a free concert on campus and Jason Hill, an MD/PhD student, will read original poems on the topic of ethnic poetry. Danforth Campus, Holmes Lounge. Presented by The Center for the Study of Ethics and Human Values, Washington University, as part of its "Ethnic Profiling - A Challenge to Democracy" series. More >

Friday, 10/30, 3 pm - When Experiments Travel Prof. Adriana Petryna, an anthropologist, will lecture about her work on the ethnography and ethics of global clinical trials. She recently published a book on this subject entitled, "When Experiments Travel: Clinical Trials and the Global Search for Human Subjects." Danforth
Campus, McMillan Hall, Room 149. Co-sponsored by The Center for the Study of Ethics and Human Values and the Department of Anthropology, Washington University, as part of its "Ethnic Profiling - A Challenge to Democracy" series. More >