We pair people and their migration stories with native plants to connect with each other and the land.

Gwen Moore, Historian

Gwen Moore is the Curator of Urban Landscape and Community Identity at the Missouri Historical Society focusing on race, ethnicity, race relations and social justice issues in St. Louis. Gwen has been associated with the Society since 1998 working as a researcher, community programmer and oral historian. Her current area of research is concerned with social movements with a particular interest in civil rights activism. An important part of her work has been documenting the Ferguson protest movement which includes a collecting initiative and an oral history project. Gwen was also the curator for the Missouri History Museum exhibition, “#1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis.” She continues her focus on documenting the history of African Americans in the region through collecting the voices, objects, papers and images of ordinary and extraordinary Black St. Louisans.

Mary Moton, born Mary Elizabeth Haynes, was the once matriarch of the Haynes family, descendants of Julia Chatman’s son Henderson “Book”Haynes and his wife Rosie Greer. Mary worked as the connector of generations within her family. Spanning back to her grandparents and stories of ways, traditions, and memories she gifted her stories to her great, great nieces, and now the public.

Mary was an avid reader, grower, cook, and more. She inspired artwork on the topics of genealogy, sharecropping, family hood and the American South of the 1930’s through 80’s. She was proud of her legacy and let it be known proudly of her beautiful beginnings.

She has one daughter, Ethel Moore. Not only was Mary born in Drew Mississippi, she later lived in Sunflower, Marks, Clarksdale, then Chicago. When leaving Chicago, she relocated to Saint Louis, Missouri. As she had done for many other aunts and cousins, she had a hand in raising her great niece and later great great niece, during her latter years.

Jerome “Jdubz” Williams

Gathered around a dramatic lit room, of a minimalist fashion, “JDubz” shares a little of his life. While in conversation with Dail Chambers, he is surrounded by Dail Chambers’ daughter, Williams wife and son, and an array of beautiful plants.

The interview was conducted in the “west side” in North Saint Louis. An area that has shifted through the years. Off of Page Ave., the regular bustle of pedestrians, neighbors and drivers are alive. Focusing on the story of Jerome “JDubz” gives one account as a representation of a people. In our community, the people are folks who are living every day lives and doing extraordinary things in their own defining way.

As a storyteller, griot and creative, “JDubz” takes a trip down memory lane to answer some of the inquiry on the topic of nutrition, culture, ancestry and family.

Jerome “JDubz” Williams is an artist, electrician, musician, husband, researcher, grower, and entrepreneur.

In the turn of the 1900’s century there were less than 6% Black people in Saint Louis. There was an even smaller percentage of Native people. Through out the last century our unified migration stories brought us to urban environments. The built environment created a place for families to mingle, grow and even start over. This project explores the shared happenings of the past and how it influences current neighbors and relatives.

7 interactive sculptures are located through out the Saint Louis area, with native plants. Each sculpture shares one of these unique stories as a marker of place, identity and more. In this inquiry we explore cultural inquiry as a living archive on public health, migration, nutritional awareness and environmental concerns.

The focus topics are Nutritional Awareness, Place and Culture Making in River Cities, Migration, and Black and Native Ancestry.

This project has been funded in part, by Washington University Divided City Community Grant, Saint Louis Zoo, WhyHunger and University of Missouri Saint Louis’ We Are Saint Louis.