|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Racist historians and others would
like to omit any knowledge about the
contributions and struggles of people
of color, women, LGBT and workers.
One can’t call yourself recording and
celebrating history if you don’t
tell the whole history."
|
|
Whenever
I'm flying back into St. Louis from the East Coast, the pilot will
generally alert passengers that if they look out the window, they can
see the iconic Gateway Arch, an architectural wonder. Passengers who
don't have direct access to a window often strain their necks to get a
good look of the towering structure protruding seemingly from the banks
of the Mississippi River. Me? I return to my reading with a smirk on my
face.
I'm sure most cities have a tourist attraction like the Gateway Arch,
one that has a not-so-visible ugly history with working class people,
especially people of color. With the Arch celebrating its 50th
anniversary this month and seeing all the hoopla by white people, I am
compelled to interject one of the most suppressed historical struggles
affiliated with famous St. Louis landmark.
In 1964 Percy Green and Richard Daly climbed an unfinished leg of the
Arch to protest the lack of jobs for black workers. Being that the Arch
was a publicly funded project (the majority of the funds came from the
feds), the ACTION organization raised the racist hiring practices in a
most daring way. The dramatic feat made big headlines across the
country and forced the construction management to hire African
Americans. Yet, when you look at the Arch commemoration website, the
timeline skips right over 1964 when Green and Daly made the climb.
According to the history keepers at the Jefferson National Expansion
Memorial, nothing of historical significance happened in 1964.
This wouldn’t be the first time Percy Green and ACTION were whited out
regarding the history of the Gateway Arch. Folks have raised their
opposition when books and documentaries made about the building of the
Arch deliberately excluded the 1964 protesting of jobs.
Percy’s relevance to the St. Louis Civil Rights Movement and his
particular relationship to the Arch is undebatable. When some community
members got wind that Percy Green, respected civil and human rights
activist, had not been invited to any of the anniversary activities,
event organizers were confronted. Green received an after-thought
invitation.
Racist historians and others would like to omit any knowledge about the
contributions and struggles of people of color, women, LGBT and
workers. One can’t call yourself recording and celebrating history if
you don’t tell the whole history. You can’t just include the parts you
like or agree with. OK, you can but it’s disingenuous and particularly
disgusting if you’re white and deleting or revising the contributions
of black folks that were made.
When I was researching the disruption and destruction of black
neighborhoods in St. Louis for my book, Ferguson is America: Roots of
Rebellion, I was surprised to see that the Missouri Department of
Transportation took ownership of its negative role. The agency admitted
that it construction policies “frequently led to the destruction of
vibrant, working class neighborhoods” with black communities being
especially vulnerable. This is taking an honest approach that I can
respect.
To get a more balanced and objective insight on the topic, The Gateway
Arch, is a good read. The book’s author, Traci Campbell, believed that
any telling of the story about the building of the Arch needed to
include the good, the bad and the ugly. That is the true nature of all
things. Tell the whole truth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 is published every Thursday |
Executive Editor:
David A. Love, JD |
Managing Editor:
Nancy Littlefield, MBA |
Publisher:
Peter Gamble |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
