ST. LOUIS — Since 1866, the Missouri Historical Society has been archiving and striving to share historical knowledge with the community.
It's able to do so through one of its locations: The Missouri History Museum.
It welcomes more than 400,000 guests a year for curious minds to discover more than 175,000 collected items.
On the museum's website, it said it serves more than 36,500 students annually.
Cicely Hunter is a Public Historian of the African American History Initiative.
Hunter said the museum highlights diversity year-round, but especially during Black History Month and Juneteenth.
Feb. 1 marks the first day of Black History Month.
"We have a series of different events on Tuesdays and on Thursdays," she said. "We'll have the '#1 Civil Rights Exhibit and Beyond'. We'll also have 'Movement and Migration'. It is focusing on the early period, post-Civil War time frame. Really spotlighting the importance of Black history told from Black perspectives and narratives and we can build that equitable future."
Hunter said while donations are impactful, she also encourages the community to be curious and connected.
For decades, dedicated work is meant to gather information from the past to form a brighter future.
"It's important for us to dig deep and have that knowledge base and share with our community in order to advance forward for that younger generation," Hunter said.
During Black History Month, 5 On Your Side is having another "Race: Listen, Learn, Live" special.
The program will focus on Black teenagers who will share their personal memories and perspectives on racism.
You can watch it Sunday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. on 5 On Your Side.
History Month Events:
- Feb. 2 — The Artists of the “#1 in Civil Rights” Exhibit and Beyond — More than 260,000 people came to recall personal memories and family legacies, explore, and engage in meaningful conversations during the 2017–2018 Missouri History Museum exhibit #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis. To share St. Louis’s complex history in a visually compelling way, MHS commissioned local artists to create portraits and murals for #1 in Civil Rights, and on this special night these artists will talk about how they developed their work.
- Feb. 11 — History Exploration Days » Movement and Migration: The Black Diaspora — St. Louis has been a starting point, rest stop, or homecoming for millions of travelers and migrants. From the Exodusters of the post–Civil War era to the Great Migration of the early 20th century to today, we’ll explore the history of Black Americans who have traveled to or through St. Louis.
- Feb. 16 — An Evening with Bishop Deon Johnson. On June 13, 2020, Deon Kevin Johnson was ordained as the new bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. Although he is its eleventh bishop, he holds the distinction of being both the first Black and first openly gay leader of the diocese.
- Feb. 24 — Victory at War and at Home: Civil Rights Activism in World War II. Dr. David Lucander, author of Winning the War for Democracy: The March on Washington Movement, 1941-1946 will discuss Black American activism during World War II with a focus on St. Louis.