5 On Your Side and the Missouri History Museum are partnering to host a happy hour and panel discussion celebrating Black History Month on Thursday, Feb. 23.
The event, RACE: Listen. Learn. Live. Celebrating Black History Month is an offshoot of special programming 5 On Your Side has produced since 2020. The live in-person event is part of the weekly “Thursday Nights at the Museum” series and kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with happy hour in Grand Hall. Food and drink will be available for purchase from Sugarfire Smokehouse. Attendees will be able to view previous RACE specials during happy hour.
At 6:30 p.m., guests will be ushered into the auditorium for a panel discussion. Panelists include athletes, businesspeople, and students. Anchors Kelly Jackson and Brent Solomon will moderate the panel. Some of the panelists include:
- Rev. Traci Blackmon, registered nurse & Associate General Minister for the United Church of Christ
- Will Franklin, former NFL wide receiver
- Mary Elizabeth Grimes, principal at Marian Middle School
- Zoey Hall, senior at Clayton High School
- Ella Jones, Mayor of Ferguson
- Jeremy Maclin, former NFL wide receiver
- Zion Murphy, senior at Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School
- Dr. Jovita Oruwari, breast surgeon at SSM
- Alvin Reid, editor of the St. Louis American
- Calvin Riley, founder of Vashon Museum of African American History
- Anthony Thompson, CEO of Kwame Building
“KSDK’s upcoming Black History Month collaboration with the Missouri History Museum is an opportunity to not only celebrate the accomplishments of Black St. Louisans, but to learn how and why they succeeded,” said Art Holliday, 5 On Your Side News Director and Executive Director of this program. “It’s inspiring and useful to hear successful people share their stories, including overcoming adversity and roadblocks; whether it’s a brand-new College Football Hall of Fame inductee who began his college career by missing an entire season after knee surgery, a construction company CEO who lost two close family members to gun violence, or a woman elected as mayor who was determined to rebuild Ferguson after civil unrest. History is telling stories and our panelists have many great stories to tell.”
“We are excited to partner with KSDK for this special Thursday Night programming, it’s part of our bigger Black History Month celebration which brings our guests together to celebrate the unique and personal contributions of African American history.” said Dara Taylor, Managing Director of DEIA for the Missouri Historical Society.
The RACE series has been honored with several awards, including a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, a 2022 Gracie Award, and was most recently a finalist for 2023 duPont-Columbia award. The series can be viewed on 5 On Your Side’s YouTube channel. In the days following the event, the panel discussion will be made available in full to watch on the YouTube playlist and be available for on-demand viewing on 5+, 5 On Your Side’s streaming channel available on Roku and Fire TV.
No registration is necessary to attend, and the event is free and open to the public.
About 5 On Your Side
5 On Your Side is the NBC affiliate in St. Louis, Missouri and has been a leader in local news, information, and community involvement for more than seven decades. 5 On Your Side is owned by TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA), an innovative media company that owns and operates 64 television stations in 51 markets. To learn more about 5 On Your Side, please visit KSDK.com.
For more information contact:
Alicia Elsner, 314-444-5256
