Mother Baltimore: Lost and found
I often think about the legacy of generational trauma and how that’s manifested in Black families. The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. The Great Migration. The racial wealth gap. Misogynoir. Police brutality. More misogynoir.
The effects of heteronormative white supremacy on Black people and the way we strive to simply survive and be in community with each other are sprawling. So sprawling that a subtle investigation into one’s family history is often reduced to careful ruminations and tacit agreements in lieu of our elders wanting to speak freely about what affected them. And why would they want to speak about it? Who wants to discuss decades of trauma that were voluntarily subdued decades ago because the feat of making it to the next day had more prominence over pondering yesterday’s pain?
We were socialized to neglect our pain because we had other things to worry about. And I often wonder how much trauma a single family would have if that weren’t the case. I wonder what pain my grandmothers took with them to their graves and what stories of theirs were left untold. I wonder how liberated I’d feel in connecting my own trauma to similar pain that they faced, if only I knew about it. But, as a source mentioned to me for a story about their own family history, “ to recount [the pain] meant to relive them.”
I’m learning to respectfully understand that while trying to find alternative ways to learn about/cope with family history and trauma. I think most younger generations of Black people are.
Now, here’s the latest news in southwestern Illinois:
East St. Louis was home to pioneering Black construction company. Few know about it today.
Preston Construction was among the first Black-owned construction companies in East St. Louis, but most people in the metro-east haven’t heard about it. The Preston family wants to change that. BND reporter DeAsia Paige talked to the family about how they plan to bring more attention their historic legacy in East St. Louis
More on East St. Louis history:
The Preston family wants to share their history and how it affected East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis has a rich musical history. It deserves to be celebrated.
Letters, photos once owned by East St. Louis dancer to be auctioned off
This week, a St. Louis-based appraiser auctioned off thousands of items that once belonged to legendary dancer Katherine Dunham. Dunham spent a significant portion of her career in East St. Louis, where she dedicated her time to uplifting the next generation of dancers. The archived materials include a variety of letters, photos and Dunham’s unpublished memoir.
More on Katherine Dunham:
A dance legend owned these abandoned East St. Louis homes. Local group wants to save them.
Washington Park asks for state help after fire destroys uninsured village building
Washington Park Mayor Leonard Moore and other city leaders held a press conference last week demanding state officials to help restore a building that housed its police, fire and public works departments. A fire destroyed the building last fall, and the city doesn’t have the funds to buy a new one.
More on the Washington Park fire
Illinois Fire Marshal investigating blaze that destroyed Washington Park police department
Washington Park emergency services still operational as IL Fire Marshal probes blaze
What to do
This section of Mother Baltimore highlights upcoming events in the metro-east that are relevant to Black communities. If you have tips for events, send them to dsutgrey@bnd.com
Sigma Gamma Rho’s Youth Symposium
8 a.m.- 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 12 at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center
The Alpha Upsilon Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. will host its annual youth symposium next month. The sorority’s signature, nationwide event is aimed to address the negative circumstances that teens often face. Next month’s event is centered on kids ages 12-18 and admission is free. Guests are required to register. For signup details, click here.
What to watch
‘Phat Tuesdays’
“Phat Tuesdays” is a docuseries named after the comedy night that helped launch the careers of several Black comedians in the 1990’s. The new program delves into the history of the LA-based phenomenon, which was created by St. Louis-bred comedian Guy Torry, and the plight of Black comedians as they aimed to create a space for themselves in the white-dominated industry. “Phat Tuesdays” is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
What to read
St. Louisan Guy Torry highlights iconic night for Black comedians in ‘Phat Tuesdays’
And if you want to learn more about Phat Tuesdays, St. Louis Public Radio’s Andrea Henderson talked to Guy Torry about the new series, how he created a pivotal platform for Black comedians and the future of Black comedy:
I just wanted to make people laugh and showcase Black people in a safe place
That’s all she wrote!
Talk to y’all in two weeks!
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This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 1:05 PM.
