Objectives

The Mayor's Commemorative Landscape Task Force was established to provide guidance to the BOA for any potential changes to the city’s current commemorative landscape in order to address community concerns that some items glorify racist or oppressive ideals. This could include adding new monuments that highlight important parts of Clayton history that have been overlooked.

Process

The review process should be inclusive, thorough, and a collaborative effort between the community and the city. Key partners that should be involved are CCF History (Clayton History Society), CEC, subject matter experts from the Missouri History Museum, Washington University, and St. Louis County historians.

1. Form a subcommittee from key partners with an appropriate city staff member and elected official.
2. Announce the effort/committee to the public and provide a place to make suggestions for items to review.
3. Develop criteria for items to review and research and establish criteria to identify which items require action.
4. The subcommittee should make the list of ‘monuments’ to be looked at, inclusive of public input.
5. With the help of key partners, the subcommittee gathers the relevant history for the items in the list.
6. The subcommittee then conducts reviews of the information with CEC & CCF History to help categorize and prioritize possible actions.
7. The committee solicits input from the community.
8. The subcommittee makes a final recommendation to the BOA on any changes to be made. This could include name changes, adding historical context to items, adding to the monument inventory with recognition of other historical places/people, or actual removal of items.
9. BOA will make final decisions on changes and priorities with public input.

Members

• Mayor Michelle Harris

• Geoff Ward, Professor of African and African-American Studies at Washington University and Resident

• Gwen Moore, Curator of Urban Landscape and Community Identity at the Missouri Historical Society

• Lizz Gunn, Clayton Community Foundation - History Committee and Resident

• Ben Uchitelle, Community Equity Commission Member and Resident

Timeline

The Task Force will move as efficiently and effectively as possible to be responsive to community concerns but also thoughtful and accurate in the way Clayton represents our true history.

Guiding Principles

1. Commemorative objects should align with our community’s highest aspirations, including as these relate to truthfulness, equity, and inclusion.
2. When considering existing or proposed commemorative objects, the City of Clayton should seek to honestly and productively engage history, and never to erase it.
3. When considering inherited and new commemorative objects, both past and present contributions and impacts of the representation must be given careful consideration.

Proposed Evaluation Criteria

1. Is the principal legacy of the namesake and/or is the subject depicted fundamentally at odds with current community values? If yes, please explain.
2. What was the context at the time and is that something we want to continue to honor and embrace?
3. Does the place name or commemorative object celebrate a part of history that believe is fundamental to who we are and what we value?
4. Does the place name or commemorative object make a nuanced, complex history accessible to the public, or provide an opportunity to educate the public?
5. Does the place name or commemorative object restore histories that have been erased or not adequately represented, or provide an opportunity to educate the public?

Proposed Approval Process

Current List of Commemorative Landscape Pieces

Click here for the current list of commemorative landscape pieces currently under review by the Task Force.

Recommendation Statuses

Meeting Information

Normally meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 12:00 pm. Currently, meetings are being held electronically through Zoom. Links for the meetings can be found on the meeting agendas below.

Presentations

The Task Force has spent much time listening and learning about the history of our community, region, and the indigenous people who lived and traveled through what is now Clayton. Below are the condensed presentations by our guest speakers.

September 13, 2020 Presentation by Sarah Umlauf

October 2, 2020 Presentation by Sarah Umlauf

January 13, 2021 The Osage Nation Presentation