Weston, Missouri’s Juneteenth Heritage Jubilee Unearths Local Black History
Weston, Missouri – The little known yet incredibly influential history of Black Americans in Weston, Missouri, was brought to light this year thanks to the Juneteenth Heritage Jubilee, an event spearheaded by the Black Ancestors Awareness Campaign of Weston (BAAC). The annual occasion strives to uncover, share, and celebrate the regional Black history in this small river town situated just north of Kansas City.
Remembering Weston’s Stock of Midwestern Americana
Weston, Missouri, with its historic downtown district established in 1837, rolling hills, and diverse storefronts, may, at first glance, appear as a quintessential embodiment of Midwestern Americana. However, beneath the ever-charming calm this picturesque town exudes, there lies a robust, often overlooked past deeply ensnared with slave-based labor.
The prosperity of this small river town hinged heavily on the booming hemp industry in the mid-1800s. This engrossing reality marks Weston as the second-largest port in Missouri during that period, following St. Louis. Much of this economic escalation was sustained at the expense of forced labor; with history marking a significant population of Weston as Black slaves.
“By 1840, there were 300 people in Weston; by 1850, it’s well to 5,000 people, and a third of them were Black, and most likely, all of them were enslaved,” highlights Angela Hagenbach, a renowned historian involved in extensive research into her family lineage, which she traces back to Weston’s early enslaved populace.
The Genesis of Black Ancestors Awareness Campaign
In 2021, encouraged by the discovery of their maternal family roots, Hagenbach, along with her sister, Joyce Johnson, and a group of close-knit friends initiated the Black Ancestors Awareness Campaign of Weston. This non-profit aims to investigate, document, and commemorate the substantial contributions made by Black folks to Weston. The annual Juneteenth Heritage Jubilee, the group’s flagship event, unearths the deep-seated history of Black residents in Weston.
A charter member of BAAC, Phyllis Becker, stressed the importance of their work and how it could serve as an inspiration to other communities. “I think how this has worked, in our approach and our partnerships with the town, could really be a template for other small towns to kind of uncover their histories as well,” she said.
Juneteenth Heritage Jubilee: A Beacon of Historical Recognition
The Juneteenth Heritage Jubilee ensures that the contributions of Black individuals to the history of Weston are not obscured by time. With this initiative, the historical setting of Weston no longer remains a haven of tranquil beauty only, rather, it evolves into a realm resonating with the strength, spirit, and substantial contributions of Black individuals from the past.
In this unique, enlightening juncture of history and social awareness, the insightful efforts of promising endeavors like BAAC hold an essential place, as they strive to bring historical accuracy to modern retellings of Black history in America. By celebrating the true partakers and instigators of pivotal societal shifts, they encourage an honest understanding and appreciation of Black history and influence on the nation, informing and reshaping the narrative for future generations.
