African American Heritage Sites in Sioux Falls
Histories of the African American experience in South Dakota are often underdeveloped, limited to the stories of enslaved man York accompanying the Lewis and Clark Expedition or of the Buffalo Soldiers at Forts Pierre and Randall. However, Black people can stake varied claims to South Dakota's history throughout the past two centuries. The following tour interprets ten African American heritage sites in Sioux Falls that stretch from the 1870s to the 1970s.
Dr. Richard Lamb
Black Pioneer of Sioux Falls
Dr. Richard Lamb was a resolute barber and physician, but perhaps he needed to be resolute as the first well-documented African American who laid down roots in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
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Wilbert B. Wright
Barbers, Porters, and the Cataract Hotel
During the late 19th century, Sioux Falls was a growing city attracting newcomers to the western frontier arriving via the railroad system. Along with this came new employment opportunities for Black men in occupations such as barbers and luggage porters. One such man was Wilbert B. Wright, who became renowned as a Black businessman and barber while also mentoring African Americans by helping them…
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St. John's Baptist Church of Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls’ St. John’s Baptist Church helped provide space for African Americans to not only join in religious worship but unite as a community. From 1917 to 1980s, the congregation formed the social epicenter of Black life.
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Louisa Mitchell and the California School of Beauty
The beauty parlor has been a gathering space for women where they could try the newest styles, learn about the latest trends, and catch up on town gossip. This was no different a century ago when Louisa Mitchell operated the California School of Beauty in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. But Mitchell offered more than that, becoming a mentor for Black and White women who were looking to enter a…
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Harvey Bentley and the African American “Get-To-Gether” Picnics
Never underestimate the power of a public park picnic. Organized by Harvey Bentley and other influential Black leaders during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the "Get-to-Gether" picnics were a way for the African American community to improve social bonds not only across eastern South Dakota but all over the Midwest.
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William Reden and the Formation of the NAACP’s Sioux Falls Chapter
W.E.B. Du Bois, African American sociologist, historian, and editor of The Crisis magazine, carried a rich correspondence with William Reden. Why did Du Bois write the Black lawyer and Sioux Falls resident? Because Reden served as an officer of the NAACP's local chapter there.
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Booker T. Washington Service Center
The Booker T. Washington Service Center was created by Sioux Falls’ Black community as lodging for black travelers and newcomers to the city at a time when racial segregation made hotels unavailable. Active from 1926 to 1957, it enjoyed great success not just as housing, but also as a community gathering center. When tracking the Center's shifting status over time, though, one accomplishment…
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Jack and Emma Armstrong and the Black USO Center During World War II
The stationing of African American soldiers to Sioux Falls during World War II led to changing racial demographics for the city. Jack and Emma Armstrong and the Black USO center would help unite the African American community and serve as a catalyst for civil rights.
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Maurice Coakley and Sioux Falls' Civil Rights Movement
The bus boycotts of Montgomery, Alabama, or the lunch counter sit-ins of Nashville, Tennessee often serve as anchor points for histories of the Civil Rights Movement, which focus attention on the South. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Maurice Coakley helped lead the fight for equal housing and voting rights within his own state, showing that civil rights struggles extended into the North and…
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United Soul and the Black Campus Movement at Augustana College and Sioux Falls College
The stories of the Black Campus Movement at rural, liberal arts colleges have largely gone untold. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, United Soul brought together African American students at Augustana College and Sioux Falls College to advance a vision of equal education.
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