Disappearing Black Communities

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JOHN A. WRIGHT, SR.
reads from and signs

St. Louis: Disappearing Black Communities

Left Bank Books and First Civilizations are pleased to announce a reading and book signing with author John A. Wright, Sr. at

7:00 pm on Wednesday, February 2.

Featured will be his book St. Louis: Disappearing Black Communities (Arcadia Publishing, $19.99).

The event will take place at
Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid in the Central West End,
St. Louis, MO 63108.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Left Bank Books at (314) 367-6731 or visit www.left-bank.com

Since the founding of St. Louis, African Americans have built their own unique communities throughout the city. Sadly, many are now gone. St. Louis: Disappearing Black Communities highlights 16 black communities and celebrates their past, present, and future legacies, and guides the reader on a visual tour of their lives through over 200 vintage photographs.

Features include:
* A unique look a the communities of Kinloch and Prospect Hill
* Pictures of Brentwood, Clayton, Robertson, Bridgeton, Downtown St. Louis, Sandtown, and Blackjack…all communities that have now almost completely disappeared
* Never before published photographs like those of the Delaney School Band and Freedman’s Church in Carondelet
* A picture of Frankie Baker of “Frankie and Johnny”
* Images of well known personalities in American history such as William Wells Brown, Elizabeth Keckley (America’s first black novelist), Mary Todd Lincoln, and James Beckwourth
* The landmark court cases like the Dred Scott, Jones v Mayer, and Shelley v Kraemer

John Wright, a St. Louis native, is currently an adjunct instructor at Webster University. He was previously the Assistant Superintendent for Personnel in the Ferguson-Florissant School District for St. Louis County. Wright has spent over 42 years in education as a teacher, principal and superintendent of schools in regular and special education in urban and suburban school districts. Wright is actively involved in many St. Louis organizations and has published numerous works. He previously authored Florissant, African Americans in Downtown St.Louis, Kinloch: Missouri’s First Black City, The Ville-St. Louis, and University City for Arcadia Publishing.