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Our Story
Some rivers carry water… our Mighty Mississippi carried freedom, subjugation, resistance, migration, and cultural innovation.
We are named for the river that became a classroom when the doors were closed. We are rooted in The Ville — and we believe communities with this kind of history don’t fade. They return.
Read Our StoryOur Journey
Three chapters of courage on the Mississippi that shape who we are today.
The Floating Freedom School
When Missouri outlawed Black education in 1847, John Berry and Mary Meachum built a school on the Mississippi itself — beyond the reach of the law.
Learn more →The Colored Refugee Relief Board
In 1879, Captain Charlton Tandy and St. Louis’s Black churches organized shelter, food, and hope for thousands of Exodusters arriving on the levee.
Learn more →The Underground Railroad
St. Louis stood at the border of slavery and freedom. The Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing preserves one courageous crossing at a time.
Learn more →Our News
River Blues Community Development Organization Awarded Missouri Humanities Council Grant to Bring the Story of The Ville to Life on Screen
Introducing “The Ville: Legacy & Rebirth”, a 30-minute documentary celebrating African American heritage as part of Missouri’s…
The Iron Bulldog Invitational Packs a Punch in The Ville
For the third consecutive year, River Blues Community Development Organization is proud to present the City-Wide Boxing…
Invest in The Ville
The Mississippi has always been a passage to possibility. Help us create that same passage for the families of North St. Louis City today.
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