Kickpatrick Library and History Department at UCM Host Traveling Exhibit ‘Boom! The Rise and Fall of Missouri’s Black Business District

WARRENSBURG, MO – The University of Central Missouri’s James C. Kirkpatrick Library and the UCM History Department are partnering to host "Boom! The Rise and Fall of Missouri's Black Business District." This traveling exhibit is produced by the Missouri State Museum and inspired by the Missouri State Parks-produced booklet “The Business: African-American Business People from Missouri’s Past.” It will be on display Jan. 31 to Feb. 29 in the JCKL Read and Relax area.

Free and open to the public, this exhibit will interpret the history of five Black business districts throughout the state: The Foot in Jefferson City, The Wedge in Hannibal, Sharp End in Columbia, Vine Street in Kansas City and the Ville in St. Louis. Due to segregation and overt and institutionalized racism, such business centers served as the cornerstone of Black life, culture, and survival in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibit will highlight the people and events, both local and national, that influenced the growth and devolution of some of Missouri’s most prolific and thriving business communities.

For more information or to arrange group visits, contact Dr. Janette Klein, university librarian, at 660-543-4140 or jklein@ucmo.edu or Dr. Jon Taylor, UCM  professor of history, at jtaylor01@ucmo.edu.