Black Archives Museum of St. Joseph

10/23/2026

Black Archives Museum Committee member J.D. Soil and the Exhibits Committee have developed a brand new exhibit inside the Glore Psychiatric Museum. This immersive experience explores the holistic and psychedelic work of Carl Jung, bringing his ideas about archetypes, dreams, and the unconscious into an engaging, multi‑sensory environment.

The exhibit also examines experimental treatments throughout the history of mental illness, tracing how evolving science, innovation, and misunderstanding shaped psychiatric care over time. Alongside these stories, visitors will encounter real hospital statistics that reveal patterns, progress, and the lived experiences behind the numbers.

Opening soon. Stay tuned for dates, previews, and behind‑the‑scenes updates as we prepare to unveil this powerful new addition to Glore.

10/21/2026

This striking photograph shows St. Joseph native Georgia Tivis standing with fellow members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion — the legendary Six Triple Eight — during World War II. As the only all‑Black, all‑female battalion deployed overseas, these women took on an overwhelming backlog of mail and restored a lifeline of hope to American troops.
Georgia Tivis’ service is a proud part of St. Joseph’s history, and her legacy has reached new audiences through the 2024 Tyler Perry film The Six Triple Eight, which brings their extraordinary story to the screen.

10/19/2026

The fascinating poetry of St. Joseph resident Roscoe Jamison was written in the World War One era. Roscoe's poems were only published after the poet had passed by his friend William Neil.

"I do not profess to be literary, but I am confident that
whoever thoughtfully reads these poems must acknowledge that
the writer is a genius.
Hoping that this excellent little volume may be received
with the genial spirit in which it is offered, I am
Sincerely yours,
WILLIAM F. NEIL,
South St. Joseph, Mo.
February , 1918."

Roscoe Jameson is buried at Ashland Cemetery in St. Joseph, MO. See a poem by Jameson here - https://scalar.lehigh.edu/african-american-poetry-a-digital-anthology/roscoe-jamison-a-war-drama-in-one-act-1918

NEGRO SOLDIERS ("These Truly are the Brave")AND OTHER POEMSSECOND EDITIONPublished byWILLIAM F. NEILSt. Joseph, Mo.1918Press of The Gray Printing Co.Kansas City, KansasFOREWORD.The compilation of this little volume has been altogethera labor of love, and no ...

10/18/2026

Pictured is a cover from The Crisis, the official magazine of the NAACP. This copy belonged to Kelsy Beshears, and was graciously donated to our museum by Tonia Dudley. Kelsy Beshears was a Civil Rights-era activist who was instrumental in helping organize the local movement in St. Joseph, Missouri. Featured in this October, 1967 issue of The Crisis is the poet and Civil Rights activist, Pauli Murray. Pauli writes in this issue - “One person plus one typewriter constitutes a movement.”

10/15/2026

Celebrate Black History in St. Joseph and grab a t-shirt or book from our giftshop. Visit our museum 7 days a week! Book a school tour, or walkthrough on your own and see St. Joseph history going back to the 1840s and beyond. All proceeds go toward ongoing educational programs and museum exhibits.

10/14/2026

The Charleston Hotel once stood near the corner of 1st and Felix streets, an area that was redeveloped for Highway 229, and was a popular spot in the Black commercial district of downtown St. Joe. During his career, the owner, Ira Coleman, was a defendant in an FBI case regarding the sale of liquor without a license that made its way to the Missouri Supreme Court. Through a series of mishaps, particularly the arrest of Ira's identical twin, Ora Coleman, who was charged with the exact same crime, the twins' cases were dismissed.

As noted by the Missouri Secretary of State's website regarding liquor license distribution for black residents in the 1950s, it states - "While the text of Missouri liquor laws did not explicitly include racial restrictions, Black residents faced a dual-track process influenced by institutional segregation, discriminatory local zoning, and localized political gatekeeping common in Jim Crow-era Missouri."

See the court record from the Missouri Supreme Court here - https://www.cetient.com/case/state-v-coleman-5194890

10/11/2026

Nominations for the Black Archives Hall of Fame are now open! Do you know someone in St. Joseph now or in history who made a positive impact in and around St. Joseph? Submit a nomination to the Black Archives Museum Committee by filling out this online form -

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc6GpMgC_vqvFqMwX2Ks_fXF2p82NTIvLxel6qzC3Egf0GDMg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

10/10/2026

"Oscar Lee Smith of St. Joseph, Missouri, served in the U.S. Army during World War I as a member of the segregated 303rd Stevedore Regiment. Assigned to critical supply operations in France, he helped ensure the steady movement of troops and materials supporting the American Expeditionary Forces. After the war, Smith returned home, where he became a respected community member and helped establish a local American Legion post. Courtesy of Jeremy P. Amick.

The United States World War I Centennial Commission has noted that during World War I, thousands of African Americans answered the nation’s call to arms despite being “assigned menial support roles, due to American society’s deep fears and prejudices.” Yet, even in the face of discrimination, the commission emphasized that “tens of thousands of black soldiers served courageously and capably in combat.”
​
That legacy of service includes men like Oscar Lee Smith, whose wartime contributions reflect a broader, often overlooked story of sacrifice and duty.

Smith was born March 18, 1895, in Norborne, Missouri, a small community in Carroll County. Raised during an era when opportunities for African Americans were limited, he later moved to St. Joseph, where he was living when the United States entered World War I. At the age of 22, he was drafted into military service and reported to Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, where he was inducted into the U.S. Army on Nov. 25, 1917."

See the whole story at the link -

The United States World War I Centennial Commission has noted that during World War I, thousands of African Americans answered the nation’s call to arms despite being “assigned menial support...

10/09/2026

Visit the Black Archives Museum all weekend long and find new exhibits throughout our museum complex! Children's interactives, archeology artifacts, and lots of local history