ST. LOUIS – Most of the time, Black History Month recognition revisits the fights, struggles, strength, and resilience of black people on the long road to freedom and equality. On Friday, the Missouri History Museum is telling the stories of black joy and culture.
The museum is hosting an event called ‘Storytelling in the Museum: Black Traditions.’ This event is aimed at children but is open to all ages. They’ve worked with libraries to gather books representative of the community. They explain the stories behind some black traditions, like
jumping the broom, line dances like the electric slide, family reunions, and black people’s involvement in Mardi Gras celebrations.
The goal is to introduce children to culture and instill a sense of pride and appreciation for traditions.
“I think it’s important for kids to know that some things that you do at home actually have a larger history and actually have significance to them,” Missouri History Museum Courtney Baxter-Annis said. “Sometimes we may not know that black culture includes all of these things. Like your family reunions, the kind of food you eat are part of our part of a larger story and I think that’s great and seeing yourself represented all these really cool books.”
‘Storytelling in the Museum: Black Traditions’ is Friday at 10:30 and also Tuesday, February 20 at 10:30. All their events honoring black history are free and you do not have to register.