Black History Month 2025 on Missouri’s Main Streets
February 28, 2025 | Logan Breer
Black History Month is celebrated nationally and internationally in February. Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week in 1926, and that weeklong celebration would later become Black History Month. The observation was intended to honor two figures who made great contributions to African American liberation and civil rights and whose birthdays are in February: U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and African American abolitionist, author, and orator Frederick Douglass as well as the history and achievements of African American people in general.
This year the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH®) set Black History Month’s theme as “African Americans and Labor”. This theme welcomes everyone to reflect on all the iterations of African American’s work and workplaces that have been transformational in shaping Missouri and our Nation’s history. At the national level, the 47th President of the United States, President Donald Trump’s proclamation invites Americans to “celebrate the contributions of so many black American patriots who have indelibly shaped our Nation’s history.”
Missouri Main Street Connection is thankful for the transformational role of African American’s work on the vibrancy of Missouri and the U.S seen through their potent impact as workers, creators, and business owners. Across Missouri there are amazing black-owned businesses located in Main Street communities whose stories, dreams, and goals create stronger and more vibrant historic commercial districts where jobs are created that lead to economic mobility and empowering future generations to make a difference in their community.
Get to know the following business owners and their story behind their business. These are a collection of transformational businesses whose business owners make an impact on the places they are located.
Meet Jacqueline K. Dace the current Executive Director of St. Louis ArtWorks in St. Louis, MO. She leads St. Louis ArtWorks in enriching the lives of youth through art education, job skill training, and exposure to career opportunities by using her past experiences as a museum administrator, adjunct professor, and project manager for projects including film, public art, and African American studies. Her accolades include the Museum Leadership Award from the Association of African American Museums; the Distinguished Alumni Award from Webster University in 2023; and awards for her contribution to the documentary “Mandela: Prepared to Die” from Hollywood Black Film Festival and Kansas City Film Festival Awards, National Arts Strategies Fellowship, and the 2019 Ohio Valley Regional Emmy.
Jacqueline’s breadth of leadership and work in education, history, and art, as well as her dedication to serving her community through volunteer board positions, allows her to make significant impacts on the lives of St. Louis youth through the programming at St. Louis ArtWorks.
For 30 years, St. Louis ArtWorks has provided arts education, job skill training, and exposure to career opportunities to underserved youth, ages 14-19, in the St. Louis region who are at great risk for unemployment, low academic achievement, dropping out of school, and/or not pursuing post-secondary opportunities. They originally started at the Third Baptist Church in Grand Center with a six-week summer program in 1995 in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of the City of St. Louis, the Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, Grand Center, Inc. and the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) and now offer year-round programming at 5959 Delmar in the Delmar Main Street District.
Their year-round programming uses a framework of 21st century skills (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity) centered on a wide variety of artistic disciplines including mural design, sculpture, textiles, painting, digital art and technology, photography, graphic arts, videography, and more. Participants who become apprentices receive training in workforce development, career preparation, arts education, and life skills training, all while creating art and earning a stipend. Within their job training activities, youth gain experience through client meetings, open house events, and public sales. Through the life skills training, youth learn effective communication skills, environmental stewardship, and fiscal literacy, as well as the importance of nutrition, good health, and personal safety. An art therapist provides group and individual sessions to improve apprentices’ overall sense of well-being and their feeling of connection to their community.
Meet Rick James who owns and operates The Perfect Gentleman in Cape Girardeau, MO. Rick began The Prefect Gentleman after a long, unexpected journey that started in Sikeston, MO. Originally beginning as a Criminal Justice major at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) in Cape Girardeau. He got caught up in some trouble during his junior year and ended up with a felony. In his young eyes, this ended his chances in the Criminal Justice world, so he dropped out. After leaving SEMO, he secured a short-lived manufacturing job due to his past felony, which he left off his application.
These experiences led him to pursue becoming a barber so he could be in control of his own fate, with the goal of one day owning his own barber shop. After graduating from barber school, he started working at his friend’s shop to gain experience that would end up with him inheriting Mighty Sharp after only 4 months. He would bump his head a lot as he started because there was a lot he didn’t know on the business side that he wasn’t able to learn from his friend. He left Cape Girardeau for Memphis for a time, then returned to open Suite 72. While operating Suite 72, it was difficult to find consistent good barbers to fill his five-chair barber shop. He began teaching at Trend Setters, a cosmetology and barber school, and recruited new graduates.
The Perfect Gentleman came after crunching numbers in 2020 and deciding that despite a smaller market, he could cultivate clientele for his dream barber shop that was inspired by an all-in-one barber shop in St. Louis that offered top to bottom services including pedicures and a tailor. The Perfect Gentleman is a shop that;
“…empowers gentlemen with the confidence to realize their next great achievement. Through our culture of complete dedication to delivering world-class service to our guests, we appeal to polished gentlemen who take pride in their appearance. Life is full of reasons to be busy, we’re helping you take the time for yourself, to take time to be a gentleman.”
Rick has learned a lot over his life and shared that, “it’s a lot of work but you have to stay on track. Don’t let life stop you. You might have to feel your way to what you love to do, but set a plan and pursue something.”
These highlights are just the tip of the iceberg of individuals whose stories, dreams, goals, and personal successes lead to success for Missouri’s historic commercial districts overall. We will continue to acknowledge every person’s contribution to our country as well as their local community for National Black History Month and every day of the year. If your business is located in a Main Street community that has an agreement with MMSC, contact Logan Breer at logan@momainstreet.org for information on how to be highlighted in future #Mainstreetmonday posts as they are relevant.
