Black Archives Museum of St. Joseph

05/28/2026

What are you doing tomorrow? Friday and Saturday admission into the Black Archives Museum also gets you into the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion. Come visit us and explore St. Joseph's exciting history!

05/27/2026

'Conversations' is an original play written by Loes Hedge, Gary Wilkinson, and JD Soil, and will premiere as a signature event of the Juneteenth St. Joseph celebration. This powerful new work weaves together personal stories, historical echoes, and modern reflections—inviting audiences to witness the ongoing dialogue between past and present in the pursuit of freedom, dignity, and community.

Join us for this moving theatrical experience at Spratt Theater, Missouri Western State University, with performances on June 13 at 6 PM and June 14 at 3 PM.

05/23/2026

It's National Road Trip Day, and we invite you to road trip with us back to historical Africa in one of our latest exhibits on African Empire and History. In this new installment we remember the struggles and celebrate the contributions of African people on many continents. Historical interpretation connecting African artifacts in our collection will bring these stories to life when you visit 7 days a week (closed Monday for Memorial Day) from 10am to 5pm. Visit on Fridays and Saturdays and also see the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion.

05/21/2026

The Black Archives Museums of St. Joseph has many opportunities for educational programming throughout the year for student and employee groups, family and friends! Do you have lots of St. Joseph history knowledge and want to share it? Consider becoming a volunteer with us and lead a tour, give a presentation, or help us digitize thousands of items in our archives. With thousands of students and visitors from around the region visiting us every year, we have many opportunities to share St. Joseph history. Check out our mission statement -

The Black Archives Museum showcases the achievements and contributions of St. Joseph, Missouri’s, African American citizens. Exhibits span the Antebellum and Civil War, jazz legends known worldwide, and local individuals whose civic and community leadership have changed our lives. Originally known as the Knea-Von Black Archives, it was founded in 1991 by Jewell Robinson, a former teacher at Bartlett High School in St. Joseph."

First photo is Lawrence Banks in 1954, sitting on his 1936 Chrysler, shortly after his military service in WW2. See more photos at our website - wwwstjosephmuseum.org/research



https://www.stjosephmuseum.org/black-archives-museu

05/19/2026

05/17/2026

Founded July 4, 1881 by Dr. Booker T Washington, the Tuskegee Institute holds a prominent place in Black History. In 1923, president Robert Moton opened the Tuskegee veterans hospital, the first hospital to be entirely staffed by Black professionals. Moton was succeeded by Dr. Frederick Patterson, whom opened the Tuskegee Veterinary school, Patterson also started the Tuskegee Airmen Flight Training Program. The all-Black squadrons of Tuskegee Airmen were highly decorated World War II combat veterans and forerunners of the modern day Civil Rights Movement. Pictured here is St. Joseph resident Sammy Mays (now passed), in the cockpit of an airplane at Tuskegee. This new collection to the Black Archives Museum is available to view online now at www.stjosephmuseum.org/research

05/17/2026

We received an email from Aaron over at the The Strong Museum who is doing a study of roller rinks dating back to the 1920s. St. Joseph has always loved a good roller rink, and our roller rink history goes pretty far back.

From Alonzo Weston's 1999 News-Press piece about the skating rink on Messanie street called The Barn in the 1940s and 50s -

"The northeast corner of 16th and Messanie streets is a lonely, empty lot today. But there was a time when that solemn corner was alive with people and laughter. It was a time when a woman with an entrepreneurial spirit and a supportive husband operated a skating rink and doll hospital, Navajean Guiden remembers the corner well.

The man and woman who operated the skating rink and doll hospital were her parents. They also had two other children, Maureen Nave, who lives in Topeka, Kan., and Ambrose Jackson Jr., who lives in Omaha, Neb. "In those days, there were no skating rinks for black people to go to," Ms. Guiden said. "It was around 1942 when the idea came to my parents, Ambrose and Rowena Jackson, (to open a roller skating rink)."

*Picture is Navajean Guiden courtesy of the St. Joseph News-Press

Navajean was also an Art Therapist and staff person at the State Hospital #2 in St. Joseph, which is represented in our Glore Psychiatric Museum.

05/16/2026

Conversations, an original play written by Loes Hedge, Gary Wilkinson, and JD Soil, premieres as a signature event of the Juneteenth St. Joseph celebration. This powerful new work weaves together personal stories, historical echoes, and modern reflections—inviting audiences to witness the ongoing dialogue between past and present in the pursuit of freedom, dignity, and community.

Join us for this moving theatrical experience at Spratt Theater, Missouri Western State University, with performances on June 13 at 6 PM and June 14 at 3 PM.

05/14/2026

Like Kelsy Beshears in St. Joseph, Fred Hampton became involved with the NAACP as a teenager. Hampton's parents, originally from Louisiana, moved to Chicago in the early 20th Century during a period known as the "Great Migration". By 1966, Fred Hampton was helping to lay the groundwork for an anti-racist political organization called the Rainbow Coalition, meant to unite workers, students, and gang members from all ethnic backgrounds. The success of the Rainbow Coalition made it a target of the FBI under the direction of J. Edgar Hoover. Fearing unity among workers across racial lines, Hampton was assassinated by the Chicago police in December 1969 at 21 years old. Plaintiffs involved in a case filed on behalf of Hampton against the Chicago police, the city of Chicago, and the Federal Government were awarded 1.8 million dollars in damages in 1982, equal to nearly 7 million dollars today.

*second photo from our collection from the Miss Black Pageant, 1971
*third photo from our Kelsy Beshears Collection, online at our website - www.stjosephmuseum.org/research

05/12/2026

From 6pm to 9pm on May 29th at the United Building in Downtown St. Joseph, Missouri - Get ready to swing through time at the St. Joseph Museums' largest annual fundraiser, celebrating the legendary Frog Hop Ballroom—a beloved St. Joseph landmark that once hosted big band greats, sock hops, and unforgettable nights of music and dance. This immersive evening will feature:

Menu -

Frog legs and fried oysters with cocktail sauce and remoulade.
Assorted Relishes
Cream of foul soup
Half Maryland chicken / 5oz beef sirloin
Snowflake potatoes
Creamed corn
Waldorf salad
Hot rolls and strawberry preserves
Apple pie or some variation
Events -

Music and Dancing Through the Ages - featuring the Katheleen Holman (formerly Ray Auburn) Big Band and Trilemma
Historical reenactors
Live entertainment inspired by Frog Hop’s golden eras
Costumes & vintage flair encouraged!
Your support helps fund free educational programming for early learners, seniors, teachers, and underserved communities throughout St. Joseph. Programs include SJSD Early Learning Centers, Big Brothers / Big Sisters, Joyce Rae Patterson Senior Center, Rolling Hills Library, Black History Month events, and more.

Tickets on sale now - www.stjosephmuseum.org/events