“We lived a few blocks from the dens on Rankin; that’s where they kept the floats for the parade.  We were little kids then and we were excited about the floats.  I won’t lie about that.  The parade was good, and my mother would take us to see it on Olive Street close to Grand.  We would stand in the front row and look and wave at the guys on the floats.  A lot of people from the south side would come over, so it wasn’t an all-black crowd.  We would wave at the clowns and they would cross over and shake a white hand and cross over and shake another white hand. My mother said, “Put your hand down.  They don’t want to be bothered with you.” Oral history of Pearl Shanks, born in 1926 and raised in St. Louis. 

Quoted in That’s the Way It Was, Stories of Struggle, Survival  and Self-respect in Twentieth Century Black St. Louis” by Vida Prince. 

For reflection: How did you feel about parades when you were a child?  Can you picture the Veiled Prophet Parade moving down Olive at Grand Avenue?   What did Ms. Shanks learn as a child about how people viewed her? 

Interested in joining MMOC’s Peace and Justice Ministry?  Call Saralou Hendrickson 314.440.2020