The Hidden Black History Behind The St. Louis Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch is one of St. Louis's crowning architectural achievements, but it has a horrific historic past. Here is the little-known history behind one of the nation’s most recognizable landmarks.
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2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at BlackHistoryYear.com - most people donate $10 a month, but every dollar makes a difference. If this episode moved you, share it with your people! Thanks for supporting the work.
The production team for this podcast includes Cydney Smith, Len Webb, and Lilly Workneh. Our editors are Lance John and Avery Phillips from Gifted Sounds Network. Julian Walker serves as executive producer."
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[@mercilessidioms]

This confuses two separate demolitions, each with its own dubious motives.
Mill Creek Valley was razed in the 1950s, and the roughly 20,000 mostly Black residents displaced, but it was for generic "urban renewal" purposes unconnected to the Gateway Arch's construction. The Arch is more than a mile east of where Mill Creek Valley stood.
The area where the Arch stands, next to the Mississippi, was razed 15-20 years before, and was primarily a warehouse and industrial district--though that doesn't mean it didn't also have residents, as multi-use buildings were more common in the first half of the twentieth century. The ground was lower than it is now and thus flood-prone, but the vote to raze it in the 1930s was shady and rumored to be part of a real-estate scheme to drive up real estate prices in the rest of downtown St. Louis.
Percy Green and another man climbed the Arch while it was under construction in 1964 as a protest against the contractors' lack of Black employees--but there were no protests by residents displaced by the Arch, as the displacement of that area had taken place before and during WW II. There were definitely protests around the razing of Mill Creek Valley.

[@PushBlack]

Thank you so much for sharing this history with us! 🧡

[@ComradeGSRM13]

Now that's real history! 📰

[@PushBlack]

🧡

[@jlang3]

The Gateway Arch is pure 🗑️

[@PushBlack]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us on the St Louis arch!