An exhibit at the History Museum on the Square in Springfield, MO tells the story of Black education in the city.
Community Cornerstones: Springfield’s Black Educators "showcases the rich history of Black American education in Springfield through the lens of the educators who were the cornerstone of the Black community before desegregation," according to the museum.
Across one wall in the Voices of History Gallery, there are photos and stories of several of those educators.
"It is important to celebrate — and I'm saying this as I'm looking at the Springfield Black educators profile wall — I think it's important to tell these stories of the people that were so important to so many in Springfield," said History Museum on the Square executive director Sean FitzGibbons.
The exhibit includes the card catalog from the library at Lincoln, Springfield’s Black school during segregation, on loan from the Springfield-Greene County Library. There are objects from the Lincoln marching band and a timeline showing what was happening locally, statewide and nationally during the time Lincoln was open.
The exhibit is open through May 7.
The museum has built a lot of educational programming for the exhibit that will live beyond May 7, said FitzGibbons, including a conversation with M&G History Keepers, which works to keep Black history in Springfield alive. The items will be available for school groups and others to check out.
