ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KSDK)--When most people think about the river front, they picture a tourist destination that attracts visitors from all over the world. The Arch is the symbol of the and the first thing you see coming over the river.
Dr. Andrew Hurley, a history professor at University of Missouri St. Louis, said the Arch represents different things to different people.
“Symbolically it’s supposed to be the gateway to the west but that really diverts our attention from what happened right here on the Arch grounds,” said Dr. Hurley.
It’s the world’s tallest Arch and this week took center stage as the new museum and grounds were unveiled. However, the celebration was darkened by controversy when the ribbon cutting featured all white Officials. That sparked outrage and the #ArchSoWhite movement. Three days later, a second ribbon cutting was held. The site that’s now causing so much racial divide was historically a place full of culture. Before the 630’ piece of steal began being built in 1963, this was rich with diversity.
“The river front had long been an African American space. And that’s because historically people that worked on the boats, first the steamboats and then the barges, were African Americans,” said Dr. Hurley.
In the 1930’s, the riverfront was riddled with homes and businesses. Just north of the Poplar Street Bridge was a community bursting with art, music, entertainment. It was a neighborhood filled with African Americans and immigrant families all trying to make a living.
“It had a reputation as kind of a seedy district, a fringe area. But part of that was that it was an area that generated a lot of culture,” he said.
That all changed in the late 1940’s when the land was cleared to build the Jefferson National Memorial, burying the stories of artistic freedom.
“You can’t bring back the past but you can at the very least talk about it and remind people. And when people come to visit the Arch, make sure that’s part of the story that’s told,” said Dr. Hurley.
