Name/Title
Knea-Von Black Archives FolderEntry/Object ID
9999.BHF.299Scope and Content
Knea-Von Black Archives
St. Joseph News-Press March 4, 1991, St. Joseph man brings dream alive by opening museum at the Knea-Von Black Archives at the northeast corner of 19th and Messanie. Jewel Robinson, a former teacher and coach got the idea from the DuSable black History in Chicago.
He started the museum on a dream and a shoestring, he said. The shoestring, his life savings, is now frayed but the dream is as vibrant as ever. The museum will help students, youngsters, trace history, make reports, and help them do research.
The room at the top of the stairs is devoted to famous blacks, George Washington Carver, Harriet Tubman and many others. The middle room will be devoted to African art and works by black artists. The room with the kitchen will have bills and posters using blacks to advertise products, such as Aunt Jemima pancake flour. The room with artifacts from the old Bartlett school and from Horace Mann such as pictures, newspaper clippings, even old basketball uniforms and trace the history of black education in St. Joseph. There is a picture of Mr. Robinson in that newspaper.
The Welcome brochure form Knea-Van Black Archives, the first black archives of St. Joseph, MO located at 1901 Messanie is in this folder.
It was the museum the city refused to fund.
Another brochure in this folder is a guide on how to visit the different area of the museum. In St. Joseph News-Press April 11, 1993, is an article about Knea-Van Black Archives. The museum is named for two of curator Jewel Robinson's grand-daughter and located in a refurbished building at 19th and Messainie. The lower level consists of a gift shop and study room amidst a makeshift "jungle" area designed specifically for younger patrons.
There is a letter in this folder from the Planning and Community Development department to Jewel Robinson Knea-Van Black Archives declining his request for BDBG funds. The CRC suggests this agency pursue rehab funds.
St. Joseph News-Press April 25, 1991, gives information about the openings of the Knea-Von Black Archives.
St. Joseph News-Press October 8, 1993, is a picture of Roy Wedlow painting a mural on the west side of the Knea-Von Black Archives building at 19th and Messanie. He creates his characters with oil pencils. When finished, the mural will depict black history from the earliest days in Africa to today with pictures of prominent St. Joseph blacks like saxophone player Coleman Hawkins and singer Etta Green.
He became a resident of St. Joseph and wanted to have a full-time job and try to help kids. He would like to become a full -time art teacher someday. He worked as a security guard and reserve police officer.
He hoped someday that youngsters would take a look at this and somehow become interested in history and forget guns and violence.
In the St. Joseph News-Press March 5, 1995, are pictures of the artifacts in the Knea-Von Black Archive.
Mary Ann Malone from St. Louis wrote a letter to Jewell Robinson July 14, 1995. The National Geographic July 84 article about the Underground Railroad was sent to Mr. Robinson by the author of the letter.
St. Joseph News-Press Staff Writer Suzanne Jones wrote an article about the Knea-Von Black Archives event for celebration of King's birthday.
St. Joseph News-Press July 12, 1991, the Knea-Von Black Archives will sponsor an ice-skating party at the Bode Ice Arena. This is an attempt to get the kids interested in another healthy activity--to get them exposed to another type of sport besides basketball.
Alonzo Weston wrote an article about a black museum that Jewel Robinson wanted to create. Mr. Robison thought that having no positive role models was a big reason for the lack of self-esteem among area youths. He felt that his lack of self-worth was a big reason for manly of the problems in the area. He transformed an abandoned building into the Knea-Von Black Archives, the area's first black museum.
June 29, 2000, letter from Karen Coughlin to Mrs. Robinson giving her sympathy for the loss of Mrs. Robinson and answering her questions about the Underground Railroad. She offered to contact the Midwest office of the National Part Service to see if they help people in any way. She enclosed a donation to the Knea-Van Black Archives in honor Mr. Jewel Robinson.
Letter to Geraldine from Tricia Kalinowski was written on June 4, 1997.
St. Joseph News-Press Allen Seifert Staff Writer Black-history Museum impresses first visitors. Jewel Robinson's own dream, of a black history museum for St. Joseph bore fruit Wednesday morning when he welcomed his first tour group-Beverly Zeltner's fifth grade class from Noyes Elementary School.
St. Joseph News-Press February 4,1993 is a picture of Garrett A. Morgan who invented the gas mask and the traffic signal. His work occupies a prominent place in the famous black Americans room at the Knea-Von Archives. George Washington Carver, a famous black botanist, became famous for inventing more than 300 uses for the peanut. Less well known is Charles Drew originator of the blood bank.
St. Joseph News-Press February 25, 2005, has photographs of Earnestine Blakley, and Jerry Cooper Black Archives Hall of Fame.
News-Press April 13, 2003, has pictures of Andy Meyer, Drew Brown, Alberto Meloni, Adrianna Smith, Lynn Smith, Meyosha Tillman, David Mitchell, Candy Embray, Carter Drake, Patricia Winfrey, Bill, Hedge, Loes Hede, Geraldine Robinson, and Audra Schildknect. This was the grand reopening of the Black Archives of St. Joseph. The temporary home is at 509 S. 10th Street. Geraldine Robinson received a trophy in honor of her late husband, Jewel Robinson.
The Obituary is in the folder of the Knea-Von Black Archives. It is also in the folder Jewel Robinson. He was 77. He died May 2, 2000. He was a teacher and coached basketball and football at Bartlett High School and Central High School. He was the founder and owner of the Black Archives Museum.
St. Joseph to get its 1st Black Archives. This handwritten note is about the Black Archives and History of Jewel Robinson. Kneaish, Nordene, and Garford have purchased the Juroy Drake estates located at 19th and Messanie streets for a Black Archives. Jewel Robinson, a retired schoolteacher and coach in the St. Joseph School system and a member of the St. Joe Bowling Hall of Fame will be director of the Archives. Mr. Robinson stated that they have had 100% acceptance from persons contacted for an advisory board consisting of Mr. Hamilton Henderson, a teacher at Central High School who has taught Black History at Central, and other leading citizens with ample knowledge of Black History and have shown interest in the welfare of the community and in working with children. After visiting museums in various cities and states, our archives will, in many ways, emulate DuSable Museum in Chicago which is perhaps rated the number 1 Black Museum in America. We will not measure up to DuSable Museum in square footage or information, therefore, we have altered our blueprint and made supplementations in an attempt to reach all ages. We will exhibit a segment of Africa to entertain the younger children and to give them a better understanding of their studies in school with near life size visual aids. Great Blacks of the past will be included with information of their accomplishments and the confrontation they experience in their era.
Mr. Robinson, in later years, started bowling and became one of St. Joseph's top Bowlers. He qualified, and turned Professional, then entered the Professional Bowlers Tour in 1968. Mr. Robinson was inducted into the St. Joseph's Bowlers Hall of famed in 1981.
Sept. 26, 2001, St. Joseph News Press
"Museum may help black archives." Albert Meloni, Director St. Joseph Museums offers to assist preserving the collection of Knea-Von Black Archives.Collection
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Knea-Von Black Archives, Black History, Black MuseumsRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Earnestine BlackleyPerson or Organization
Brown, DrewPerson or Organization
Jerry CooperPerson or Organization
Karen CoughlinPerson or Organization
Carter DrakePerson or Organization
Charles DrewPerson or Organization
Candy EmbryPerson or Organization
GafordPerson or Organization
Hawkins, ColemanPerson or Organization
Loes S. HedgePerson or Organization
Bill HedgePerson or Organization
Hamilton HendersonPerson or Organization
Aunt JemimaPerson or Organization
Suzanne JonesPerson or Organization
KneaishPerson or Organization
Mary Ann MalonePerson or Organization
Alberto MeloniPerson or Organization
Andy & Susan MeyerPerson or Organization
David MitchellPerson or Organization
Garrett S. MorganPerson or Organization
NordenePerson or Organization
Geraldine RiobinsonPerson or Organization
Jewel RobinsonPerson or Organization
Audra SchildknectPerson or Organization
Allen SeifertPerson or Organization
Adrianna SmithPerson or Organization
Lynn SmithPerson or Organization
Meyosha TillmanPerson or Organization
Roy WedlowPerson or Organization
Weston, AlonzoPerson or Organization
Winfrey, PatriciaPerson or Organization
Beverly Zeltner
