Historic black neighborhood

A damaged Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church on Thursday, June 12, 2025, in St. Louis’ Greater Ville neighborhood. The church was destroyed after a deadly EF3 tornado ripped through the city last month, killing 5.

Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church shows resilience even after deadly St. Louis tornado

Andrea Y. Henderson

Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church is one of several Black churches in north St. Louis destroyed or severely damaged by the May 16 tornado. A rebuild could cost $15 million. The church pastor says the storm might have been a blessing in disguise.

The city of Richmond Heights razed Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church at Hanley Road and Hicks Avenue in 2014 to make way for the commercial development anchored by Menards. The Black church was built around the 1950s in Hadley Township.

Race, Identity & Faith

New documentary follows the demolition of an old Black St. Louis County neighborhood

Andrea Y. Henderson

Hadley Township, a former neighborhood in Richmond Heights, is one of the last Black communities in the St. Louis region destroyed by urban renewal efforts.

"A Community Remembered" marker at 7700 Carondelet Avenue in downtown Clayton on Tuesday May 21, 2024. Last month, the Clayton Commemorative Landscape Task Force dedicated a historical marker to the city’s Black community, which was displaced due to racial discrimination in the 50s.

Culture & History

A historical marker now commemorates Clayton’s displaced Black community

Ulaa Kuziez

Clayton’s downtown business district stands in the place where a Black community once thrived.

Arts

Once-Thriving Black Richmond Heights Neighborhood Gets Recognition

Marissanne Lewis-Thompson

Richmond Heights officials and residents will come together on Sunday to dedicate a plaque to a historic black neighborhood in the city, which has nearly…