Our Missouri

Episode 82: News from Home (African American Heritage in the Ozarks, Part 7)

This episode is hot off the press! Join us as host Sean Rost discusses the contributors behind the community and society pages of newspapers such as the Kansas City Call, St. Louis Argus, Sedalia Conservator, Joplin-Springfield Uplift, and how they shared important updates on local affairs.

Episode Image: Eddie Bryant and LeRoyce Stevens at the St. Louis Argus newspaper office [St. Louis Argus Photograph Collection (S0586), SHSMO]

Episode 81: George Washington Carver National Monument - Curtis Gregory (African American Heritage in the Ozarks, Part 6)

In this episode, Curtis Gregory, a park ranger for the National Park Service, discusses the activities and history of George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri, and reflects on the life of George Washington Carver.

Episode Image: Statue of George Washington Carver as a young boy, Diamond, Missouri, 1960 [Gerald R. Massie Photographs (P0016), SHSMO]

About the Guest: Curtis Gregory is a park ranger for the National Park Service at George Washington Carver National Monument

Episode 80: Frederick Douglass Comes to Springfield (African American Heritage in the Ozarks, Part 5)

In this episode, host Sean Rost looks back to Frederick Douglass' 1893 visit to Springfield, Missouri, and examines who Douglass was, why he came to Springfield, and what he advised Missourians to consider at the dawn of a new century.

Episode Image: College Street, Springfield, Missouri, date unknown [Arthur Richard Hill Photographs (SP0067), SHSMO]

Episode 79: CCC Co. 1743 - Andrew Olden (African American Heritage in the Ozarks, Part 4)

This episode features Andrew Olden, a PhD candidate at the University of Missouri-Columbia and staff member for the African American Heritage in the Ozarks Project, discussing Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1743, an African American unit based at Washington State Park along the banks of the Big River near De Soto, Missouri, in the mid-1930s.

Episode Image: Thunderbird Lodge, Washington State Park, 2021 [Courtesy of Andrew Olden]

Episode 78: Voda Curtis Revisited (African American Heritage in the Ozarks, Part 3)

This episode focuses on the life of Voda "Bea" Hardy Curtis, and documents the path of her family from slavery to suffrage. The episode also features audio clips from Voda Curtis' 1977 oral history (S0829) housed at the State Historical Society of Missouri's St. Louis Research Center, as well as final thoughts from past oral history interns–Cydney Smith, Cassie Draudt, and Keely Doll–who conducted research on Voda Curtis' life.

Episode Image: Women gathered at what was called the “Negro Service Center” in Joplin, Missouri, 1955 [Whitaker Family Collection (SP0076), SHSMO]

Episode 77: From Potosi to the Potomac (African American Heritage in the Ozarks, Part 2)

In this episode, host Sean Rost introduces listeners to the life and legacy of John A. Lankford. Born in Potosi, Missouri, in 1874, Lankford achieved immense fame as one of the most celebrated architects of his generation. Listen here to learn about Lankford's journey from Potosi to Washington D.C., along the banks of the Potomac River.

Episode Image: Forge Room at Lincoln Institute in Jefferson City, Missouri, ca. 1903 [Lincoln University Photographs (P1096), SHSMO]

Episode 76: Introduction (African American Heritage in the Ozarks, Part 1)

In 2021, the State Historical Society of Missouri was awarded an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant through the National Endowment for the Humanities and Missouri Humanities for a project titled “African American Heritage in the Ozarks.” Over fifteen months, staff at SHSMO identified and compiled an extensive list of primary and secondary sources related to African American life in the region, provided public programming in numerous Ozarks communities, developed physical and digital exhibits, and conducted more than two dozen oral histories preserving the voices and memories of the people who call, or have called, the Ozarks home.

To begin the second half of Season 5 and the new series “African American Heritage in the Ozarks,” host Sean Rost introduces listeners to the some of the oral history interviewees and the key themes of Ozarks history that emerged over the course of the project.

For more information on the Emancipation Day in the Missouri Ozarks interactive map discussed in the episode, please visit: https://shsmo.org/interactives/emancipation-day-ozarks 

Episode Image: Mark Dixon interviewed by Gary Kremer at Benton Avenue AME Church, Springfield, Missouri, 2022 [Courtesy of Andrew Olden]

Episode 75: Sports Journalism in the 21st Century (Title IX in Missouri, Part 7)

To conclude the Title IX in Missouri series, host Sean Rost talks with four journalists, Kathryn Lucchesi, Maddy Glab, Lauren Michelson, and Dani Wexelman, about the evolution of sports journalism in the 21st Century.

Episode Image: Radio interview between Mary Margaret McBride and Goldena Howard, Columbia, Missouri, date unknown [Mary Kathy Dains Photographs (P0300), SHSMO]

About the Guests:

Kathryn “Kat” Lucchesi is an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Prior to joining the Journalism School, she held several positions in media and digital marketing, including Multimedia Director for the University of Missouri football team; Director of Social Media for Oregon State University Athletics; and multimedia reporter, anchor, and producer at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri.

Maddy Glab is a multimedia journalist for Pegula Sports & Entertainment. In that role, she primarily serves as a team reporter for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. Prior to that role, she held several positions in media and digital marketing, including On-Air Talent/Multimedia Producer for the University of Tennessee; Video Producer/Reporter for Stanford University Athletics; and a sports reporter and anchor at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri.

Lauren Michelson is a sports anchor for KLKN-TV in Lincoln, Nebraska. Prior to that role, she worked as a sports reporter and anchor at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri.

Dani Wexelman is a freelance on-air reporter and producer. In that role, she has worked with MLB Network, Major League Rugby, National Lacrosse League, and Sirius XM Radio. She also co-hosts two podcasts, “Datt’s What She Said with Dani” and “Amateur Hour.” She has held several positions in media and digital marketing, including On-Air Talent, Storyteller, and Producer for MLB.com; Editor/Producer for NHL.com; Digital & Social Media Paid Intern for the Harrisburg Senators, and an anchor, reporter, producer for KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri.

Episode 74: AIAW (Title IX in Missouri, Part 6)

The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) had a lasting impact on countless Missourians, even though it was only in existence for roughly a decade during the 1970s and early 1980s. In the latest Our Missouri Podcast episode, learn about the legacy of the AIAW and listen to oral history interviewees from the Missouri Sports & Recreation oral History Project (C4377) discuss their memories of the first few crucial years of Title IX and the AIAW.

Episode Image: Southwest Missouri State University women’s volleyball team, 1979 [Courtesy of Linda Dollar]

Episode 73: From the Stacks (Title IX in Missouri, Part 5)

In this episode, host Sean Rost takes listeners into the stacks to learn about some of the State Historical Society of Missouri's collections that highlight athletics and recreation in the state of Missouri, particularly related to the evolution of opportunities for girls and women in the 20th Century.

Episode Image: Girls Gym Demonstration at Northside Branch Gymnasium in St. Louis, Missouri, 1960 [Gateway Region Young Men’s Christian Association Records (S0473), SHSMO]