Joplin’s East Town: A Legacy Revealed

East Town: A Legacy Revealed an exhibition although intimate offers a profound and immersive look into the often-overlooked history of the African American community of Joplin, Missouri, and its surroundings. This is more than an intimate art exhibition. It is a reclamation of history, a tribute to legacy, and a bold declaration of presence. Its essence lives within those of us rooted in this community.

The exhibition curated by Sonié Joi Thompson-Ruffin, a fifth-generation Missourian and daughter of East Town, who’s nationally acclaimed work as a textile artist, painter, designer, and former curator of the American Jazz Museum gives this exhibition its depth and purpose, East Town: A Legacy Revealed is rooted in lived experiences—not folklore. It is personal. It is truth. And it is long overdue.

Cover image: Anthony High | Negro League Legacy