Monday, August 31, 2009

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


Monday, August 24, 2009

[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. -->

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

[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. -->

Monday, August 17, 2009

[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. -->

Friday, August 14, 2009

[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. -->

Monday, August 10, 2009

[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. -->

Friday, August 7, 2009

[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? -->

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

[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. -->

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

[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. -->

Monday, August 3, 2009

[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. -->