BlackHistory

Outdoor
Enthusiast

With Ope Outdoors, Juno Musonda is spreading love for the Midwest’s parks and natural attractions through merchandise, park cleanups and…

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Community

Creating Space

At Heydays HQ, Keisha Mabry Haymore provides the space and support for women and founders of color to create, collaborate…

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Work

Bold Moves

Through Bold Xchange, co-founders Danielle Deavens and Doug Spencer aim to improve equity in entrepreneurship by helping large companies support…

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Work

A Broad Canvas

At Onyx Dagger in Lafayette Square, Valencia Miller combines fine art with tattoo art, supporting local painters in St. Louis…

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Culture

Hair Care

Rebundle’s CEO Ciara Imani May is revolutionizing the hair extension industry with the first U.S.-made, plant-based hair braiding brand.

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Work

Cooking Up

Propel Kitchens is building health and wealth within the historically under-resourced community of the St. Louis Promise Zone by providing…

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Community

Sew Crafty

First through a youth academy and now with a new online portal, Olivia Rae Davis wants to get more people…

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Work

Raised on Glazed

Syeeda Aziz-Morris is carrying on the family tradition of donut-making at Pharaoh's Donuts in Downtown and the Central West End.

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Work

Notes of Community

Soul artist turned community facilitator Brian Owens helps lift up young creatives in St. Louis.

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Culture

Freedom Through Food

Urban farmer Tyrean “Heru” Lewis brings fresh produce to underserved communities and advocates for more equitable growing practices across St.…

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Work

A Powerful Lift

As the executive director of Paralympic operations at Logan University, Kelley Humphries-Mascoll is advancing the Paralympic movement in St. Louis…

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Community

Space for STEM

With Black Girls Do STEM, chemist Cynthia Chapple and her team are carving out an inclusive space for young Black…

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Work

More Than Skin Deep

Tiffany Wesley creates health and wellness products with the greater aim of cultivating community through her worker-owned co-op, Pure Vibes.

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Work

Branching Out

Forest ReLeaf’s Rebecca Hankins is leading the way in getting trees to the communities that need them.

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Community

Rewriting the Narrative

At EyeSeeMe Bookstore in University City, Jeffrey and Pamela Blair are fulfilling their calling to provide people with positive stories…

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Culture

Drawing Outside the Lines

Steenz Stewart has blazed their own trail in the comics industry to become one of the few Black cartoonists at…

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Culture

A Wider Net

St. Louis’ storied soccer tradition will take a leap forward in 2023 with an MLS team of its own, St.…

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Community

Empowering
Women

In Fox Park, nonprofit Rung for Women helps women take their personal and professional lives to the next level.

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Community

Homegrown
Market

Local farmers and entrepreneurs build their businesses and a strong community through the support of St. Louisans at the Tower…

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Culture

Flavor Full

Charlene Lopez Young and Darren Young are bringing Filipino flavors to the region with their barbecue and smoked meats business,…

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Work

Natural Wonders

St. Louisans find peace and purpose in parks and on trails throughout the region.

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Community

Flipping the Script

Akeem Shannon is on a gravity-defying entrepreneurial rise with his creation, Flipstik.

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Work

Building Bridges

Natissia Small, Ed.D., reduces barriers for St. Louis youth to pursue and succeed in higher education.

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Work

Time for a Revolution

Saint Louis Story Stitchers brings young people together to express themselves through art and create social change.

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Community

Building the Future

Dream Builders 4 Equity aims not only to transform Hyde Park in the next five years, but also to serve…

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Community

The Courage to Dream

Dream Builders 4 Equity empowers young St. Louisans to achieve their goals.

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Community

Dreaming Big

Michael Woods and Neal Richardson knew a new approach was needed for real estate investment to make lasting change in…

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Community

Plant-Based
Possibilities

Trezel Brown's CC's Vegan Spot has become a destination for local vegans and is converting more folks to try plant-based…

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Culture

Health and Healing

Naturopathic physician Jamila Owens-Todd extends her mission of healing further into the community through her ownership of the Golden Grocer…

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Work

Ready, Set, Launch

Je'Nell McCrary transitioned from radio to tech thanks to skills she gained through LaunchCode's CoderGirl program.

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Work

What’s Possible

Marian Middle School students find inspiration for their future in the history-making election of the first Black female vice president, Kamala…

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Community

Bringing Love to the Table

Shana Alicia Poole-Jones started her Grab and Go Table to give food and supplies to folks in need, and keeps…

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Community

In Full Bloom

At Oliver’s Coffee + Flower Bar in Maplewood, Olivia Ridgel's focus on creativity and inclusion have blossomed into a magical,…

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Work

Mapping Inequities

Kemba Noel-London used geospatial data in her doctoral research to discover disparities in access to youth sports throughout the St.…

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Work

Flying High

Entrepreneur Bronwyn Morgan brings drones and geospatial tech together with her company, XEO Air.

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Work

Community Game Changer

Entrepreneur Julian Keaton aims to foster community engagement and move St. Louis forward through “Dimensions,” a new interactive geolocation mobile…

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Work

Bridging the Gap

The Foodshed.io app links small family farms to grocery stores so consumers can buy more local produce and farmers can…

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Work

Full Circle

Okunsola M. Amadou is improving health outcomes for Black women with a wraparound model of care at Missouri's first equal…

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Work

Shaping the Soundtrack of St. Louis

Hometown hip hop legend DJ Kut reflects on the role he's played in the region's music scene.

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Culture
DJ Kut

Empowering the Community

For 20 years, Diversity Gallery owner Leslie Christian Wilson has connected with St. Louisans through art, jewelry and natural hair.

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Community

Changing the Conversation

Local start-up We Stories is teaching the next generation to be anti-racist.

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Community

Opening Doors

Dwayne Smith's first job was with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and now, through education, he seeks to build up the…

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Work

Fresh From the Vine

Tony White’s locally grown tomatoes are the not-so-secret ingredients in many St. Louis chefs’ acclaimed dishes.

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Culture
tony white holding box of fruit

Urban Oasis

Theo Smith thought he’d become an urban planner, but Kennedy Forest in Forest Park beckoned.

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Culture

Sweet Dreams

La Patisserie Chouquette co-owner and executive pastry chef Simone Faure has become the maven of macarons in St. Louis.

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Work
baker

All That Jazz

Lauren Parks and Jas Gary Pearson have turned the childhood home of music legend Miles Davis into a community catalyst.

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Culture
Lauren Parks and Jas Gary Pearson outside the childhood home of Miles Davis

Education for All

Through EdHub STL, Sherita Love helps educators shake up their classrooms and eliminate barriers for students.

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Work
Sherita Love Stands

Planting Seeds

Angi Taylor found meaningful work in St. Louis’s growing agriculture industry.

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Work

Keys to the Community

Kayia Baker and Pianos for People are changing lives one note at a time.

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Community

Game On

With dozens of studios, courses and events, St. Louis is becoming the nation’s next video game development hot spot.

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Work
Graphite Lab employees

Art in Motion

Through the Justice Fleet, Amber Johnson empowers people to heal.

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Culture

Cooking with Love

Through food, ‘MamaCat’ Cathy Daniels nurtures and respects St. Louis’s unhoused residents.

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Community