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African-American
Special Interest Group

A-SIG Logo The African-American Special Interest Group (AA-SIG) provides a forum for individuals to network, share genealogical research, study, and preserve the history of Americans with particular interest in African descent.


Meetings


Meetings are held at either the County or City Library.

 
Date: Saturday, 08 November 2008
Meeting Time: 11:00 a.m.
Presentation: 11:30 a.m.
Topic: Directed Research - Public Library
Speaker: LaDonna Garner, CG


For additional information, contact the African-American Special Interest Group at 314-647-8547, e-mail:

or

LaDonna Garner (SIG Leader) at

African-Americans in St. Louis


African-Americans have played an important part in the culture, political, and spiritual history of St. Louis since 1764. They were members of the party that accompanied Pierre de Laclede Liguest when he founded the trading post and French village that became St. Louis. According to the 1799 census, the total population of St. Louis was 925 of which 46% were people of African descent.

African-American communities were established in St. Louis County as early as the 1860s, e.g., Webster Groves and Rock Hill. The black community of Kinloch was not developed until the 1890s.

St. Louis was/is home to many famous African-Americans: Scott Joplin, ragtime composer; W. C. Handy, composer of St. Louis Blues; Wendell Oliver Pruitt, WWII flying ace; Dred Scott of the infamous Dred Scott Decision of 1847; Dick Gregory, civil rights activist and comedian; and many more.

The St. Louis Sentinel, Argus and American newspapers are published weekly by African-Americans and are widely circulated.

Source: “The African-American Heritage of St. Louis: A Guide,” published by St. Louis Public Library, February 1992.