The land that the new soccer stadium is built on and much of the surrounding area was once a thriving community known as Mill Creek Valley. It was home to 20,000 Black people with many businesses and churches. The city started demolishing it in the late 1950s in the name of "urban renewal." By the time I arrived at St. Louis University, just to the west, in 1967 it was all gone.
The team and other donors built this monument to the people and community at the southwest corner of the stadium, Designed by sculptor Damon Davis, the pillars suggest black hour glasses with their sands frozen in time.
Unfortunately I thought they were stylized clothes pegs when I saw them. I hope there is a sign explaining what they are about.
ReplyDeleteSo many achievements of Black Americans have been shamefully thwarted by violence overt or covert. Thank you for documenting another example
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