is community-based tourism and arts organization created by multi-generational Ville residents and volunteers to restore pride in the legacy of The Ville, a historic African American community in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri, and inspire reinvigorated community ownership.
THE VILLE is a historic African-American neighborhood located in St. Louis, Missouri with a rich history of African-American education, business, and art. Prior to the United States Civil Rights movement, the use of restrictive covenants and other legal restrictions prevented African-Americans from finding housing in most areas of the city. As a result, the African American population of St. Louis became heavily concentrated in and around the Ville. The neighborhood became home to a number of important cultural institutions for the black community, including Sumner High School, Poro College, Lincoln University Law School, Stowe Teachers College, Simmons Elementary, Tandy Rec Center, Sarah-Lou Cafe, Annie Malone Children’s Home, and Homer G. Phillips Hospital.
Kinloch, Brooklyn, Mill Creek, The Ville
Celebrate some of the forgotten great communities of St. Louis with our new Historic Black Communities tee!